Lifelines
by AESP Inc
Summary: Emotionally torn after the final showdown with Knives, Vash sequesters himself and his twin away in the remote town of February for some rest and rehabilitation...and maybe one last chance. As the brothers' lives become intertwined with the human inhabitants of February, some unexpected bonds develop. But after all this time, is there truly hope left for Knives? [Eventual Canon/OC]
1. Chapter 1

**Notes:** Is this fandom even alive anymore? Well, at any rate, hello and welcome to the beginning of what will probably be yet _another_ long project—especially considering this one has been in the works for over 10 years now. This story is the first project that we'd begun writing together, and has gone under VERY heavy revision since its birth that one stormy night 13 years ago. Oh, they grow up so fast! -sniffle-

Anyway, this is one of those post-canon fics, a 'what happens after Vash kicks Knives's ass?' if you will. **The story will be blending both anime and manga canons, mostly adhering to the anime's series of events but using the manga's version of the twins' origins.** Also will include a sizeable serving of Fix-it - _cough_ Wolfwood _cough_ \- and a heaping spoonful of romance (in later chapters). And angst. So much angst. Plus, we'll see what the insurance girls Meryl and Millie are up to. The gang's all here, and then some!

Hope you enjoy, and please consider leaving us a review if you happen to give this a read. It gets lonely in this corner!

* * *

 _What if it hurts, what then?_  
 _What do we do, what do you say?_  
 _Don't throw your lifeline away.  
_ — "Lifelines" by A-ha

* * *

 **.: Chapter 1 :.  
**

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It had been a last-ditch effort.

After 150 years on this planet—most of them having been spent apart from each other—Vash couldn't let his brother continue down the destructive path that he'd been on; a path where all of humanity simply wouldn't be allowed to exist. Hadn't he spent most of his life protecting humanity? Knives saw them as beneath him, things to be abhorred and disposed of with haste.

Vash never bought into that type of thinking. Not even when they'd beat him down again and again, put a price on his head, not even when his friends had turned on him one by one. He loved being close to people and he let it happen over and over, though each time ended just like the last; leaving him betrayed and alone.

Why did he keep doing that to himself? Wouldn't it have been easier to join Knives on his mission? At least then he wouldn't be alone.

Vash shook his head as he carried his brother's unconscious body over his shoulder, carefully as the blood dripped from his leg. He wouldn't be like him. Even if every human on the planet Gunsmoke had made up their minds to kill him, he'd still protect them all. They weren't all bad. At least one of them, he remembered with great clarity...one of them had come back.

 _Wolfwood..._

He closed his eyes tightly, willing the tears to stay where they were. Crying wouldn't bring him back. That was the other burden he carried; the cross punisher that Wolfwood had claimed was heavy because it was so full of mercy.

He had to find a safe place, away from too many prying eyes. Someplace where Knives could recover and hopefully rehabilitate. Vash remembered all too well the look on his face upon his first real injury all those years ago when Vash himself had dealt that blow.

Now he'd done it again. Shot at his brother with harmful intent…and succeeded.

Four bullet wounds…one on each limb. Vash could only hope to be so lucky. His own body was scarred and disfigured from every fight he'd been in, and to save the lives of people who'd hated and betrayed him no less. No one ever said that doing the right thing was easy, and Vash couldn't help but think that it _was_ the right thing, even if it hurt him so much. It was what Rem had taught him. It was what Rem would have liked to see. It would have made her proud.

He didn't really know what he expected from his brother when Knives woke up. An angry tirade? Most likely. But when the fighting was all over, Vash hadn't wanted him dead. No...he couldn't see himself killing his brother simply because he'd been the one to win the fight.

He clung to that last spark of hope that Knives wasn't a complete loss, the way a man dying of thirst clung to the last drop of water in his empty canteen.

Finally the outline of a town came into view. It was a welcome change from the endless beige sand that had been blowing in his face for isles and isles. He smiled, stumbling slightly over the dunes as he picked up his pace and the buildings became clearer the closer he got. The suns were high and hot, but it wasn't yet noon, he noted with relief as the billboard with the name of the town came into view.

"February," he read aloud.

As luck would have it, February didn't appear to be a particularly large or bustling type of town. Since it was almost noontime, people would be indoors to escape the blistering heat, preparing their lunches. His stomach growled as if on cue and he gulped, his throat so dry it felt like it was coated with the blasted sand that this entire planet was covered in.

No good. He couldn't stop and eat. He needed to find a place where Knives could recover. Someplace long term.

He turned down one of the side streets, now walking along the outskirts of the town. Some place out of the way would be good. He noted a lot of residential areas back there, but finally a respite came into view. There was a swinging wooden sign hanging from a modest one-story building that read 'Dwyer Inn.'

It wasn't fancy by any means, but it looked comfortable enough from the outside.

Shifting his heavy burdens and leaning Wolfwood's cross against the wall outside, he managed to make it through the door with Knives in tow. A small bell signaled his entrance as he did so.

The lobby was larger than he would have thought from the outside. He walked across the tiled floor to the reception desk where a tall, pale and thin woman was standing. She had red hair that was slightly curly, and appeared to be counting a large pile of pencils. Her eyes were intent on their task, darting back and forth and her freckled nose was wrinkled ever so slightly. Her lips were parted as she mumbled the numbers under her breath.

Vash felt a stupid grin coming on, even in these serious times. What a pretty woman! He sauntered closer to the counter, trying not to scare her as he leaned against it slightly. "Excuse me, Miss...I'm terribly sorry to interrupt you, but I'm looking to rent a room for a while."

"Twenty-seven...twenty-eight...twenty-nine..." The woman's head snapped up as she caught sight of the strange man with spiky blond hair and she twitched, breaking the pencil in her hand in half. "WHAT…?" Her tone had come out more annoyed and loud than she intended and she took a breath, as if remembering she was running a business and as the proprietor it wouldn't do to scare the guests away.

She placed the broken pencil halves down on the desk in front of her and smoothed her hands against her pants. "Hi, welcome to the Dwyer Inn. A long term stay, you said? Well, it's the off season right now, not like there's really an 'on' season here...but most of the rooms are usually free since most people only stay a night or two as they're passing through."

Vash grinned. "Great!"

Upon noticing what he had slung over his shoulder, the woman's eyes widened. "JESUS CHRIST is that man okay?! Do you need me to call a doctor?" She gaped at the apparent gunshot wounds and blood that continued to flow from the prone man's legs. "What's going on here?!"

Vash quickly held up his free hand. "NO, NO, NO, NO, NO! That won't be necessary! I'm his personal doctor! We just need a place to stay while he recovers...ahhh...preferably a larger room, somewhere in the back?" He hoped he looked and sounded sincere enough.

"Are you sure about that? He's bleeding! He looks awful..."

"NO, REALLY! Everything's fine!" At least he hoped it was, anyway. "I just really need to get him into bed. If you don't mind, about that room..."

Her body language indicated that she was still a bit wary. But as business hadn't exactly been booming lately, she didn't really have a choice when it came to her patrons. She needed the money.

"Alright...I do have a large room in the back. I'll just come and grab my sister's shit out of it for you. She'll have to deal, since you're paying customers." The woman grabbed a key off the wall behind her and made her way out from behind the desk. "Follow me, Mister...?"

"SMITH!" Vash answered quickly. "It's Mr. Smith...AHAHAHAHA!"

The proprietor looked uncomfortable, her eye twitching slightly. "Should you really be laughing when your friend looks that bad?"

"He's my brother, actually," Vash answered, followed by loud fake coughing.

"That's even worse! Well, this isn't a charity organization so as soon as you get him in bed I hope you're prepared to pay a handsome deposit, Mr. Smith..."

"Of course I am, Miss...err, I didn't catch your name."

"It's Olivia. Olivia Dwyer." She'd led him to the very back of the Dwyer Inn and unlocked the door to the suite, swinging it open for him. She stepped inside quickly and grabbed a basket half full of clothes from the floor, then walked around the room, grabbing other various odds and ends.

"Hopefully this suits your needs. I also serve breakfast and dinner, and sandwiches are available for lunch on request. There's no smoking inside the inn though you're welcome to do it outdoors, and there's a communal bathroom complete with soaking tubs down the hall. Some of them have privacy screens if you're so inclined, though each room has its own toilet. I'll just get you some extra blankets." She held the basket against her hip as Vash carefully deposited Knives on the nearest bed and fluffed the pillow around him.

"Come on," Olivia continued, "I'll get you set up in the register."

Vash's eyes began to sparkle. "MISS OLIVIA!" He practically crooned, purposefully misconstruing her words, "Well! I'd absolutely love to have a drink with you some time!"

Olivia groaned, "Seriously?" She gave him a withering glare. "Worry more about your brother right now. I don't have drinks with my guests."

Vash tried not to look too dejected as he poked his fingers together. "O-okay..."

Olivia quickly set up an account in the large ledger next to her register and handed Vash the key she'd used to get into the room. "And you'll find some extra towels in the closet next to the bathroom if you need them," she informed him as she collected his security deposit on top of the next two weeks' board. She finished stowing away the double dollars and writing everything down. "So, great, let me know if there's anything else you need. Especially if that happens to be a doctor."

"Thank you, Miss Olivia! I have things under control for now...but I'd love it if you'd go out with me some time." He grinned at the inn keeper in a way that he hoped came off as suave, but she only groaned again.

"What'd I just say? Look I'm trying to be nice here, but I have a business to run."

"Of course, of course!" Vash waved a hand dismissively. "I'll leave you to it then!" He bowed before dashing off.

Olivia shook her head as she began counting the pile of pencils once more. "What a weirdo."

oOo

A three-wheeled motor bike slowed to a stop in front of the Dwyer Inn later that night, around the time most people were retiring to their beds. The rider swung one leg over the side of the bike and slid off, dragging a large duffle bag along.

Reaching up, the person removed the helmet, revealing the slightly dirtied face of a young woman. She shook the dust from her long, tawny-colored hair before tucking the helmet beneath her arm and pocketing the key. Then she strode toward the inn, her boots quiet against the creaky floorboards as she reached the door and opened it as silently as possible, making sure not to set off the bell overhead.

She vaguely remembered at that moment, with a curse under her breath, that she'd told Olivia she would help with the evening chores...though with any luck, the woman in question would be busily taking inventory, as she usually did each night.

Besides, some things were far more important than menial tasks like folding laundry or doing dishes.

The young woman deposited her helmet on the table by the door and made her way toward the back of the inn. She stifled a yawn as she went. What a long day it had been! She couldn't wait to just crawl under her sheets and sleep like a rock until morning.

But when her hand gripped the doorknob and it refused to turn open, she knew something was wrong. Furrowing her brow, she tried again, more forcefully this time. It didn't budge and then she began to shake it a bit.

"What the HELL?"

The duffle bag fell to the floor at her feet as she abandoned it in favor of using both hands to attempt to open the door. Why was it locked? She never left it locked!

Just then, a muffled voice within the room called out, "Who's there?"

"Excuse me?!" She retorted, her tone full of indignance. "That's what I'd like to know! What are you doing in my room?!" She pounded on the door a few times and then turned her head to shout, "OLIVIA!"

At the front of the inn, Olivia chose to ignore her sister's shouting, as she was currently absorbed with the daily evening inventory of the kitchen. She finished counting the forks with a sigh of dismay. "Twenty-nine... Shit. Always twenty-nine."

Vash approached the door warily, making sure the chain was securely fastened before he cracked the door open.

"Err, can I help you?"

The girl he was faced with crossed her arms. She was not exactly thrilled to find that her usual room had suddenly become occupied without so much as a warning from her sister...though her annoyance was short-lived as she quickly realized that it wasn't fair to be upset at this guy. It wasn't as if he had known he was intruding.

She sighed and the frown on her face disappeared. "No, I guess not," she muttered, sounding somewhat defeated. "My sister must have set you up in here. Never mind, I'll go find somewhere else to sleep," she said as she bent to pick up the duffle bag from the floor.

"Wait!" He yelled, rushing to open the door the rest of the way. "Miss! I didn't catch your name!" Vash jumped out into the hall, putting a hand to his chin and winking at her. "You know, you're welcome to sleep in here with me as well!"

The young woman turned back toward him, one eyebrow arched in response to his last comment. Her eyes traveled down, noting the collared shirt he wore was stained with several splotches of dark red.

"Um...are you alright?" Her brow furrowed in obvious concern, and she had to wonder if Olivia really knew what she was doing. Letting this strange, blood-covered man stay in their family's inn? Surely they didn't need the money _that_ badly!

Vash looked puzzled for a moment until his eyes widened, realizing what she'd been referring to. He made a squawking, embarrassed noise. "AGH! Um...just doing a little impromptu surgery, Miss!" He insisted, quickly wiping his bloodstained fingers off on the seat of his dark jeans. "Nothing at all for you to worry about! I'm actually a medical student, ahahaha! AHAHAHA!"

A groaning noise from Knives filled the air at that exact moment, and as she tried to peer around him to have a look at the source, Vash quickly slammed the door behind him.

"I was just on my way to the bathroom to clean up," he hurriedly explained, hoping that she hadn't managed to see anything.

There was a long pause as she regarded him with the same sort of look that people commonly gave him when they were wondering whether or not he was just an idiot.

"Right, well...I'll be up the hall if you need anything. I'm Sky, by the way." Her nose crinkled slightly as she studied him a bit longer. "Just...try not to make a mess of my stuff, okay?"

Vash's face went blank for a moment until he remembered quite clearly how Miss Olivia had been haphazardly grabbing things into a laundry basket as she set them up in the room. And she'd mentioned how her sister would 'just have to deal.'

"OH...you must be the sister of Miss Olivia! Miss Sky, you said? A gorgeous name for an equally gorgeous woman." He jigged his eyebrows up and down. "My deepest and humblest apologies for commandeering your room! Is there anything I can get for you out of there?"

"Um..." Sky felt her cheeks flush slightly; there was indeed something that she needed, but she certainly wasn't going to ask a complete stranger to go digging through her underwear drawer. After a moment, she shook her head. "No, it's fine. I'll come back for some things later, when you're...maybe not so busy."

She couldn't help but give him a funny look; he was standing there in a blood-spattered shirt, yet he acted as if there was nothing at all strange about it. She made a mental note to keep an eye on him, and to find out whether or not the other inhabitant of the room was _really_ alright with a so-called 'medical student' like the man standing before her looking after him. If that was even the truth, anyway.

She blinked just then, breaking from her thoughts. "What was your name? Did you say?"

"WHO, ME? They call me the man who chases the elusive mayfly of love, a soldier of peace and prosperity...a man of mystery and wonder...a man among men, even! I think it's probably for the best if I don't tell you my full name. It's been known to make women swoon if they even so much as hear the first few syllables! Of course, there are those who have taken to calling me Mister Smith, which I suggest you do as well!"

Sky stared back at him and tried very hard to keep herself from rolling her eyes at that long and flowery introduction. She thought that he couldn't have possibly been more suspicious if he'd been actively trying to make her think he was full of crap, but in the end she just shrugged.

"Okay. 'Smith' it is, then." She took a step backward before turning on her heel and heading toward one of the rooms near the front of the inn, shaking her head as she went. "Well, I guess I'll see you around."

Vash watched until Sky was out of sight around the corner and rushed back into the room, locking every lock available on the door before collapsing against the back of it. He then let out a huge sigh of relief.

"Ahhh...that didn't go as well as I thought, but damn, what a cutie!" A blush rose in his cheeks as a dirty thought filled his mind and he surmised that she still had her underthings stored in this room. "NYEE HEE HEEE!" He giggled with glee and was about to start digging through the drawers when Knives groaned from the bed.

His brother had broken out into a sweat and his brow was furrowed in what must be pain.

Vash felt terrible, but there was really nothing else he could do to make his twin feel more comfortable. He fluffed the pillows behind Knives's head and covered his brother with a thin sheet, placing a damp cloth gently on his forehead.

"I'm sorry, Knives..."

He felt even more sorry for what he did next. Withdrawing a set of chains and cuffs from the large pack he always carried, Vash locked them securely around his brother's wrists and ankles before finally anchoring them to the wall just behind the bed.

Vash didn't know when his brother was going to wake up, but he'd have to be prepared for what would happen when he did.

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 _Thanks for reading! And if you've got a second, please let us know what you think. Feedback, it sustains us. -pours water over fandom in hopes of helping it grow again-  
_


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes:** Thanks to everyone who gave us a read, and especially to those who faved/followed/reviewed! It was honestly more than we'd hoped for and we very much appreciate the feedback. :) One of you seemed a bit concerned about the number of potential OCs in the story. Not to worry! Aside from a couple of very minor support characters, Olivia and Sky are going to be the only OCs we put any real focus on. If we do happen to introduce another, it won't be for quite some time.

Anyway, here is the next chapter. Thanks again for reading!

* * *

 **.: Chapter 2 :.**

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Knives felt like he was floating.

Weightless, he bobbed on an endless sea of white. Nothing but empty white for isles and isles. It was so bright...so bright that it hurt his eyes. He closed them tightly, but still he couldn't escape from it.

Then came the pain. Sharp little pinpricks at four distinct points on his body. They tingled just slightly at first, and then they began to itch. The itching progressed to a sensation not unlike small needles pricking at his skin, and then eventually became an excruciating, stabbing ache. It worsened as his awareness increased, and he began to writhe in discomfort.

Pain… So much pain. What had been the cause of it? His clammy hands grappled for purchase at his sides in an attempt to ease the dizziness, and he became aware of the thin cloth gathered between his fingers.

A sheet? A bed?

He was alive. But why?

 _Vash…_

His eyes snapped open and he bolted upright, only to nearly double over in agony as the pain of every wound hit him in full force. Grimacing, he looked around, noting that he was currently occupying a single bed in an empty room. Various belongings had been strewn about, and in the semi-darkness he recognized his brother's large duffle bag leaning against the doorway. There was a window on the far-right wall, allowing a bit of sunlight to stream in. One look outside of it told him that there was absolutely nothing ahead but sand and dust for many iles.

Where the hell was he?

Gritting his teeth, he leaned forward, only to notice that the action seemed to cause a jangling noise from somewhere nearby.

"Hm?"

He carefully maneuvered his legs over the side of the bed so that his feet were on the floor as he righted himself, both hands supporting his weight on either side of him. Pain spiked through his shoulders and his thighs once more when he bent forward, and the jangling sound became more prominent. He reached up for his shoulder a little too quickly, only to find his wrist encased in a thick, metal cuff. Attached to the cuff was a long, heavy chain, now partially draped across his lap, and as his eyes traveled up the length of the chain, he saw that it was secured to the wall by means of a sturdy metal plating and large, heavy duty bolts.

Knives's nostrils flared in both surprise and anger upon this discovery. He grabbed at the chain with his other hand and tugged once, twice. The action hurt, and he growled in frustration.

He was alive…but, he thought as he glared down at the bandages wrapped around his thighs and the matching set of cuffs trapping his ankles and other wrist…also a prisoner.

With a heavy sigh, Knives laid back down on the bed. His head had begun to pound at the change of equilibrium. He grunted and grabbed the glass of water that someone had set onto the bedside table, carefully tipping it into his mouth. The chains rattled with his every move, and he hated the sound. After draining the glass, he threw it at the wall and heard it shatter into a million pieces.

What was the purpose in all of this? The last thing he remembered was Vash's face staring down at him while he lost consciousness. Weren't they supposed to have killed each other? Settled their argument once and for all? Vash had been the victor, so why...?

No. Knives knew why. His softhearted, _sentimental_ brother had never been able to find it in himself to kill, not even when his own life was on the line.

Foolish. Weak. Pathetic.

His wounds throbbed, and Knives growled low in his throat.

"Damn it to hell..."

Was this the way he was going to be forced to live from now on? His ambition had already been crushed, his men wiped out. His little friends, yes, even _Legato_ was dead...though that thought brought a smile to Knives's face, for Legato had been killed by Vash's hand. Knives reveled in the pain that killing a human had caused his twin. Finally, Vash would know what it felt like to take a human life! Those worms, those _cockroaches_ infesting the planet and selfishly abusing all available resources. Shouldn't it have felt grand? SHOULDN'T IT?

Knives chuckled darkly, only to be interrupted by a bout of coughing. He tasted his own blood in his mouth.

Ah, but it was pointless. What a meaningless existence he'd been sentenced to. He wasn't sure whether to be relieved that he was still living or disgusted that Vash had been unable to put him out of his misery.

 _'What the hell, brother...?'_

oOo

Sky threw open the door of the room she'd been forced into the night before and marched down the hall. She could hear Olivia muttering under her breath as she reached the kitchen. _Perfect._ This was her chance to have a little chat with her sister about the strange company she'd welcomed into their family's inn.

She crossed her arms in an indignant manner and, without waiting for Olivia to notice her, she said, "So I couldn't help but notice my room was _occupied_ last night. "

"—twenty-seven, twenty-eight, twenty-nine...GAH!" Olivia dropped the butter knives she'd been counting with a loud clatter and turned around to face her sister, a dark frown adorning her face. "Thanks a lot. Well, yeah, this is an inn if you hadn't noticed. That's kind of what we do here—rent rooms to guests! Although I suppose you really wouldn't know about that since you're NEVER HERE." Her anger was laced with bitterness as she knelt to pick up the knives.

Sky frowned. "So give them one of the empty rooms, then!"

Olivia gave her an unsympathetic stare. "He asked for a room in the back. There were two of them, and you know they're paying customers. I didn't think you'd throw a hissy fit about it." She tossed the knives she'd collected back into their drawer, slamming it shut.

Sky opened her mouth to object to throwing a so-called 'hissy fit' but then thought better of it. That response would more than likely buy her an argument, and she hadn't come for that. So instead, she voiced her other concern. "You know there's some other guy in there and apparently he's seriously hurt! I've been hearing groans all night like someone's dying in there."

"Yeah, he did have an injured man with him. I offered to call him a doctor more than once, but he insisted that _he_ was going to handle it."

Shaking her head, Sky threw up one arm. "Like _that's_ not sketchy as all hell!"

"Maybe he wasn't as badly injured as he looked," Olivia replied curtly, not in the mood to be interrogated by her younger sister.

Sky rolled her eyes. "Seriously, who the hell is that man anyway?! 'Mr. Smith' my ass, he said he's a medical student but I think that's just a load of crap," she scoffed as she leaned heavily on the doorway.

"Yeah, I know that's not his real name either, but things aren't exactly hopping around here and he asked for the room long term. If you're so concerned, maybe you should bring them some aspirin or something," she added absently as she fiddled with the pile of butter knives. Though she had to admit, 'Mr. Smith' did strike her as a bit of a lunatic.

Sky grimaced. "Jesus, we're going to be murdered in our sleep just because you're stingy."

"I am NOT, you're just overreacting! You can pick whichever other room you want, you know. I don't understand why you wanted that one in the first place. I prefer to keep my quarters quite separate from the guests. Bad enough that we have to share the bath with them…"

"Well, I didn't ask for you to understand it," Sky retorted before she could stop herself. "Just would've been nice if you'd at least asked me before giving it away."

The innkeeper was becoming more and more irate the longer the conversation continued. "Why is it that you only come talk to me when stuff like this happens, huh? Shouldn't be off traipsing about on one of your little crusades?"

Sky stared back at Olivia for a moment, the frown on her lips slowly fading. "Yeah, well, I was just leaving," she said as she took a step backward and then turned on the heel of her foot.

Olivia watched her sister walk off in a huff and went back to counting. Maybe one day she'd finally end on a number that wasn't twenty-nine...

oOo

Sky opened up the closet where she'd stashed her bag the night before, plucking it up from the floor and slinging it over her shoulder before striding toward the front door.

Olivia hadn't been wrong. Sky _did_ have plans for that day. The summer festival was happening that night, and the entire town was talking about it. All week, she'd overheard people discussing it excitedly among one another; how much they were going to drink, the fried foods they planned to enjoy, and all the brilliant lights that would illuminate the sky above the town. Sky planned to be there as well...but she wouldn't be celebrating anything.

She strapped her duffle bag to the three-wheeled bike parked outside and was about to put on her helmet when she had a thought. A simple curiosity that had to be sated.

Sky put the helmet down and quietly made her way toward the back of the building. The man claiming to be 'Mr. Smith' was so suspicious, she was sure that he was up to no good...and in HER bedroom, for that matter. She figured she had a right to know what it was! What if that groaning man was in serious trouble? Being held against his will, even? How could she just stand idly by and let such a thing happen?!

Flattening herself against the wall, Sky neared the window of her bedroom with practiced discretion, crouching down below it and listening for any sounds within.

Nothing.

She carefully peered up, trying to have a peek through the dusty window. The curtain was drawn, but there was a slight gap at the bottom where the fabric wasn't quite long enough to fit the length of the window. Disappointingly, there wasn't a whole lot to be seen within. Things looked pretty quiet. She could make out a figure in the darkness, lying on her bed, but that wasn't enough to tell her anything at all.

Cursing under her breath, Sky turned to leave. Perhaps she could catch Mr. Smith in the act another time. Right now, she had to get going if her plans were to go smoothly.

But as she turned, she slammed right into something that was suddenly standing in her path.

"GAH!" She cried out, nearly losing her balance as her eyes traveled up a tall figure.

"WHOA!" The Humanoid Typhoon reached out and caught one of her arms before she fell. "WELL, WELL, look who it is!" He grinned as he balanced a brown paper bag in the crook of his free arm. It was filled to bursting with the tops of various indeterminable items peeking out of the top.

Sky could only stare back at him, wide-eyed. JESUS, he'd caught her spying, hadn't he? She hadn't even heard him coming!

"Miss Sky, right?" He released her arm and performed a sweeping bow with his free hand. "I do believe that fate has brought us together again, although you really should be more careful and watch where you're going! I know it's a little late for breakfast, but maybe you'd like to accompany me a bit later for some lunch? And if you wanted to get a peek at me, well, all you had to do was ask! AHAHAHA!" Vash laughed in his usual fashion, though he had to wonder how much she'd been able to see from the little vantage point he'd caught her at.

Sky bit down on her lip, trying to decide if the blond man before her was _actually_ that stupid. She figured he just might be. Even so, she certainly didn't trust him.

She chose to completely ignore his offer, instead squinting up at him in a suspicious manner. "Who is that other person in there?"

Vash's face went blank for the barest of moments before he simply smiled and said, "I told you, he's my patient. I'm treating him at this moment as part of a project for medical school..." He trailed off, mentally slapping himself; even _he_ would have known that explanation was complete bullshit, but at this point he didn't want to get anyone else involved. Especially not while things were so up in the air. He knew with certainty that even if he did explain it to her, she wouldn't understand. No one would.

Sure enough, a skeptical look adorned the girl's face. "You don't say?"

He pretended to fumble for a bit before holding up a hand in surrender. "Ah...okay, you got me. He's a man who fell by the wayside during a vicious shoot-out, and I happened upon him as he was bleeding out there in the desert. Being the kind of man I am, well, I couldn't just let him die there...so you know, I picked him up and brought him here to recover! You don't have to worry, he won't die."

Sky crossed her arms and tilted her head as she studied his face carefully. Was this just another lie to cover up something else? Something _worse,_ perhaps?

"Then why aren't you calling for a real doctor? Why aren't you reporting this to the sheriff? February is a small town but we still have laws, you know..." She stared hard at his face. He honestly didn't have an air of cruelty about him, and maybe he _was_ telling the truth this time. "If someone really did hurt that guy, then they shouldn't get away with it. This is the kind of thing you should tell someone about."

"...I can't." A pained look crossed his face as he considered her words. "Look, you're a nice girl…I mean, you _seem_ nice, anyway. I don't really know you, though I'd like to..." He offered her a small grin, and then continued when he realized that angle was getting him nowhere. "But you really don't need to concern yourself with this. Everything's fine, no one broke any laws. No more than usual, anyway…"

Sky sighed. "Right…"

Whatever it was that he was hiding, she wasn't going to find out by interrogating him behind the inn. She'd just have to find out on her own somehow. Sky decided that she'd definitely get to the bottom of this. Figuring things out was what she did, after all.

"SOOOOOO…" Vash began, deciding it was time to change the subject. "Did you hear about the big festival going on in town tonight? I was thinking of going, but I don't have a date!"

"Yeah, everyone knows all about that damn festival." She rolled her eyes, not wanting to talk about that when she still had unanswered questions. "You should go...I'm sure it'll be fun."

Vash pouted. "Hey now, don't be like that. I was hoping a cute girl might ask me to go with her! I mean, obviously you're going…or maybe you're going on a little trip instead? Looks like you packed for something." He tilted his head slightly, cranking the façade up to eleven as his expression conveyed distress. "Oh, no! Don't tell me you're leaving town! Miss Sky, you absolutely _cannot_ leave town until you have lunch with me!"

Sky was mentally cursing herself for even trying to get a look inside that room. Having to deal with this guy's antics was all she got for her efforts.

"It's not your business where I'm going," she informed him. "You could be an axe murderer for all I know, like I'm going to go anywhere with you."

"ON MY HONOR MA'AM, I AM NOT!" Vash shouted back. "I am a warrior of love and peace! Don't you feel it too? That our meeting was destiny?" He grinned and slid on his yellow-lensed sunglasses. "Come on, we'll be in a public place. Let's invite along that red-headed cutie if you're so concerned about being alone with me."

She'd had about enough of him at this point. This weirdo was trying to get in the way of her plans, and that wouldn't do. She had to get rid of him. He was such a bizarre character; spouting such nonsense about destiny, and being a warrior of love and peace…what was that even supposed to mean?

Sky rolled her eyes. "Yeah, my sister would never participate in that foreign concept called 'fun', but feel free to try your luck." She pushed past him and headed back toward her bike. "Anyway, I have something important to do. I don't have time to go walking around like a fool while gawking at shiny lights and stuffing my face…"

Without sparing a glance behind her, Sky climbed onto the bike and pulled her helmet over her head, starting up the engine and revving it a few times before she took off down the street.

Vash just stared after her as she rode off. "Wha...? WELL, ALRIGHT THEN!"

Honestly, he was relieved that he'd been able to throw her off the trail like that. She may have been concerned about Knives, but she clearly wasn't worried enough to argue more persistently. With all the gear she'd been carrying with her, she was clearly up to something of her own. He'd been fortunate that she was currently preoccupied, though he knew it was only a matter of time before he'd have to dodge another round of questions from her.

He shifted the bag in his arms. It was filled with fresh bandages and antiseptic, along with a few other miscellaneous medications. He'd been running low on supplies after initially treating his brother's injuries, and had finally found a good opportunity to run out and restock while Knives was still unconscious. It had been a waiting game ever since they'd arrived at the Dwyer Inn, and he wondered how much longer he'd have to exist in a constant state of suspense while Knives slept.

The conversation they'd have once his twin had awakened was decidedly _not_ one that Vash was particularly looking forward to.

oOo

It wasn't as though Vash was proud of what he'd had to do; on the contrary, it pained him to look at the chains that bound his brother. But it was either that or risk Knives's wrath, and that was a risk that Vash absolutely couldn't take…not yet. At least this way, Knives would be safe. And, more importantly, Gunsmoke would be safe _from him._

Vash entered the room and shut the door tightly behind him, latching the chain as he set the bag down on one of the small tables in the room.

He heard a stirring just then, and the clanking of chains from the sleeping area caused his pulse to quicken as he realized that Knives must finally be conscious. He was relieved and terrified all at once. Vash slowly entered the other man's line of vision, trying not to make any sudden movements.

"Knives…?"

The bed creaked as Knives shifted his weight and turned his head toward the voice of his brother, though he chose to stay silent. A moment later he lay flat once more and stared up at the ceiling, utterly apathetic.

Vash approached him, noticing that his brother's eyes were indeed open. "Knives...how...how are you feeling?"

Knives was in a hell of a lot of pain, actually, though he wasn't about to let Vash know that. Even just laying still, his wounds throbbed in a dull ache. He could feel the blood beginning to seep through his bandages from the sudden movements he'd made earlier.

His brother was still standing there, waiting for Knives to say something, so he simply grunted in disinterest.

Vash reached for his twin's arm, gently. "Hey...let me change your bandages."

Knives immediately tensed, pushing himself as far away from Vash as he could manage. He stubbornly rolled over onto his side.

"Knives...you need to let me change those. And I brought food."

The soft reply held the tone of a man who'd been betrayed. "I don't need anything from _you_."

"I know how upset you must be, but—"

"If I was supposed to die, then I was supposed to die. You did me no favors by saving my life. You think this is a kindness?"

Vash felt his chest throb painfully as he listened to Knives's hoarse voice telling him that he didn't even want to be alive. "You know I couldn't do that to you. I can't kill my own brother. Knives—"

"What do you want with me, then?!" Knives snapped back, still refusing to turn over and look at him. "I see no reason for me to be kept here...and the chains...a nice touch, though. You really did think of everything, brother."

"I want to help you. It's just a precaution." Vash sighed, feeling himself deflate a bit. "I'm sorry…"

"Perhaps you don't realize I'm beyond help. You only saved me because you're weak. You always have been. Whatever it is you want from me, you won't get it. This is all so utterly _pointless_. Go back to the humans who spit on you and rip up your flesh beyond recognition."

Vash clenched his fists at his sides. "They're not the only ones who did that!" He reached up and grasped at his prosthetic arm with his good hand. After a pause, he sat down on a stool beside the bed and reached over to grab Knives's shoulder. "I'm going to change your bandages. Protest all you want, but we're guests here and it's not right to get blood all over everything just because you're being a stubborn ass."

The reply was another grunt and Vash couldn't tell whether it was assent, disagreement, or just plain obstinacy.

Knives just laid there, not making his brother's job any easier and he took a small bit of satisfaction from how difficult he'd made it for Vash to change his bandages.

After a while, he asked, "How long do you plan on keeping us here, Vash?"

"I'm not sure," Vash replied while he finished tying up a bandage. "First you'll need to heal and then, well...I don't know. I'm afraid you're going to want to go right back to what you were doing before...and I can't let you do that. I _won't._ "

Knives snorted softly. "There's no point in it...any of it. We'll never fit in, no matter how much you want us to. They'll never accept us. There's always going to be that shadow hanging over your head; who you really are… _what_ you are... We're not meant to live among humans. Why do you try so hard? Why does their approval, their acceptance...ANYTHING about them mean so much to you?!"

After a long pause, Vash replied, "They're the ones who gave us life. And it's...it's what _she_ would have wanted. She always inspired me to be a good person. A person who could make other people smile. She was good, Knives. No matter how many other people were horrible and bad, she was always good. She always did the right thing."

"She was just as imperfect as the rest of them. You'd do well to forget about her. Move on already, it's been over 150 years."

Vash trembled slightly as he tied the last bandage on Knives's leg. "Never. People only cease to exist once you forget them. She's worth remembering."

"You were always such a sentimental fool." Knives scoffed. "Do whatever you want."

" I want you to be happy, too. We can live with them peacefully, Knives. There are some really good people out here, I promise you. We can learn from each other."

"There's nothing they have or know that I want. I don't care. Living among cockroaches will never make me happy, brother."

Vash sighed softly, having hit the expected wall in the conversation. "You've been through a lot lately, obviously you need time... Time to process this and time to think about it. Take all that you need. I'm not going anywhere."

Knives knew that it was pointless to continue the discussion. Vash's mind was made up and there was nothing Knives could do about it for the moment, injured and restrained as he was.

But Vash couldn't hold him there forever.

oOo

The best laid plans...

Sky sighed, her back pressed against the cool stone wall of the prison she was currently detained in. She could hear the voices of the city's sheriff and the jailer from just outside the room, but couldn't make out any of the words in their conversation, save for "power outage" and "disastrous" when Sheriff Lowell's voice rose a few octaves in frustration.

She couldn't help but let the smirk crawl over her face.

Sure, ending up behind bars hadn't been a part of her grand scheme. But right up until she'd gotten caught, everything had gone according to plan. She'd snuck into the plant quite easily, since most of the people in the city were distracted by the beginning events of the festival. There had been two guards on duty, but it hadn't been difficult to slink past them and continue on her way. She'd gotten to the main controls without much trouble, either, and unlocking the door was a cinch. Sky knew her way around the place almost like the back of her hand, considering her father had once worked there.

Yes, everything had gone smoothly...she'd taken a moment to gaze down at the city square where the locals were beginning to illuminate the night air with many bright and flashing lights, all of which was to be powered by the very plant she was standing inside.

In retrospect, that was the moment she should have cut off the power supply, but no...she'd been a bit too cocky. She had wanted to wait until the festival had just kicked off. She'd wanted to hear all their dismayed cries, wanted them to know that this wasn't just an accident. They needed to know what their frivolous, energy-depleting celebration would ultimately cost the city if such a thing was allowed to continue year after year. Once the darkness had swept over the city, that would be the perfect time to tell them...

But it was all for naught. As the lights lit up the city one by one, a myriad of greens, blues, pinks and oranges, Sky began the second phase of her plan. She cut the source of the power lines, but never had the chance to take in the disappointed groans and shouts of dismay, because that was the moment that one of the guards she had thought was well out of range yelled out, "There she is! Get her!"

And that was the end of it. She'd bolted immediately, of course, but it was far more difficult to escape in the darkness, and on top of that the guard had quickly alerted all his friends. It wasn't long before they pinned her to the wall and led her away in handcuffs.

Still, not bad for a night's work. She never got the chance to spread her message, but at least that _wasteful_ festival had been canceled. That was the important thing.

The jailer, Charlie, had stopped conversing with Sheriff Lowell and now his footsteps were clicking down the wooden hall toward the prison cells. He slowed to a stop just in front of her cell and glanced inside, looking extremely bored.

"Skylar Dwyer. How many times do I gotta see you sitting in my cell before you smarten up? You think this is what your daddy woulda wanted?" Upon her lack of response, he sighed softly.

"Well, you know the drill by now, kiddo. You get _one_ phone call."

Sky only nodded and next came the sound of jingling keys and a door unlocking. The barred, metal door swung open on rusty hinges and Charlie motioned for her to get up and follow him to the office where the telephone was kept.

"Hurry up, you got two minutes," he grunted as he gestured toward the phone.

"Right," Sky replied. She picked up the handset and dialed the number of the Dwyer Inn.

oOo

Olivia had been counting the silverware in the kitchen again after finishing up with what little cooking she was going to do for that day. A couple of drifters had stopped by the Dwyer Inn, along with the two new fellows who were renting the back room. She'd cooked up a simple stew for everyone, and was doing a bit of inventory while it simmered on the stove when suddenly the power had flicked. The surge was shortly followed by complete darkness.

"What the...?" She blinked as her eyes slowly adjusted to the darkness, dismayed that she had lost count at twenty-nine forks. _That number…_

With a loud, metallic clatter the innkeeper angrily threw down the remainder of the silverware. She abandoned her task to go and dig out the candles and the gas lamps that she kept on hand for such emergencies.

Olivia had just lit one in the foyer and was in the process of lighting another in the kitchen when the phone at the front desk began to ring.

She rushed over to answer it. "Dwyer Inn, Olivia speaking. How may I help you?" She used her shoulder to hold the receiver to her ear while she set down the handful of candles she'd intended to pass out to the guests.

Sky perked up a bit upon hearing her sister's voice. "Oh, hey Livvy... Um, are you busy right now?"

Olivia groaned at the sound of her sister's feigned innocence on the other end of the line. "Sky...what happened this time?"

The younger Dwyer bit down on her lip, knowing full well that her sister wouldn't approve of what she had done. "Well...it's kind of a long story. Do you think you could drop by the Sheriff's station and umm...maybe bring some bail money with you?" She cringed. "Please?"

Olivia sucked in a breath. "SKY! I can't fucking believe this. You're in jail...AGAIN. Do you have any idea of what kind of strain that's putting on our business? That's going to take EVERYTHING we just made this week. This has got to stop. This has been happening almost _monthly_. You're using up what little we have left by pulling these crazy stunts, and I don't know if you've noticed, but I'm not made of money!" She paused her tirade for a moment to hear what her sister had to say for herself.

"I know, I know, I'm sorry! This wasn't how I planned it! But what I'm doing is important, I wish you could just—" She cut herself off at that moment, having to remind herself that starting an argument with Olivia right now would certainly not aid her in getting home that night, so she started anew, sighing into the phone. "You know what, forget it...I screwed up again. It's not fair of me to rely on the money the inn needs to stay in business. I really _am_ sorry, Livvy. I'll make it up to you, however you want, I promise."

Olivia scoffed. "You're damn right you will. And it just so happens that a real, yes, REAL job just opened up right here at the inn. We're short a maid, and we only had one to begin with so for the next two weeks your ass is mine, you hear me? I'm almost inclined to put a curfew on you, but hopefully you're as good as honoring your commitments to family as you are to your personal mission in life. How's that sound? Bail money in exchange for two weeks of maid service at the inn. Sound like a fair deal to you? If not, you could always just stay in jail." Olivia puffed out her cheeks angrily, feeling as though she were being more than generous toward her wayward sister with this deal.

Sky was puffing out her cheek as well, not liking the idea of having to be the Dwyer Inn's only maid for two whole weeks...a full-time job on top of her other projects. But she did need time to rethink her strategy, and besides, she knew Olivia could have been much more demanding this time around.

"No, it's fine," she assured her sister, trying to keep the reluctance out of her tone. "I'll do it. Thanks, Liv. I really appreciate it."

Olivia finally let out her breath in a sigh. "I'll be down there in…however long it takes to stumble downtown in the dark, being that I can't SEE a goddamned thing. You wouldn't happen to know anything about THAT, would you? Yeah, gonna have to hold my keys between my fingers in case any of these fucking loons try to attack me. You just sit tight, li'l sis. Bye." She hung up the phone and threw her arms up in the air.

The innkeeper went to the safe, taking out all the double dollars that were currently stored within. She didn't trust banks at all, and always kept the money that the Dwyer Inn earned in either the safe or the register. Olivia counted out the bills that would become Sky's bail, noting that it ended up being nearly the entirety of the safe. She recounted it three times just to be sure, then added up what was left in the safe an additional three times and made note of it in her personal register.

Angrily stuffing the money into her pocket, Olivia grabbed her keys in one hand and then set the remaining spare candles and lamps onto a table in the foyer so that anyone who came looking wouldn't miss them.

She stumbled over the last step in her haste, making her way down to the Sherriff's station in the dark, her bad mood increasing by the minute. Finally she arrived at the darkened building, noting that it was lit up with candles and lanterns as well.

"I'm here for my sister," she called out as she stepped through the swinging doors.

Sherriff Lowell nodded at her from behind his desk. "Good to see you again, Miss Dwyer. Shame it ain't under better circumstances. " He glanced at the jailer, who happened to be sitting nearby. "Well, Charlie, go let the girl loose."

Charlie nodded back and held up a ring of keys, jingling them once. "Never a dull moment with that girl! You enjoying the power outage, Olivia?"

The redhead scowled, and her reply was laced with a thick sarcasm. "Oh yeah, I love the dark. Makes my job _so_ much easier. Look, if you don't mind, I had to leave in the middle of work..."

Charlie coughed, thoroughly embarrassed by her reply but also at the same time he honestly thought that Olivia could stand to work less. He'd known the Dwyer girls for nearly all their lives, and the elder sibling had always been the more serious, studious sort. The younger one…well, Sky followed her own ideals and quite passionately at that. Had their father not been so beloved by the town's inhabitants, Charlie supposed that Sky would have faced a much harsher sentence.

"Right, sorry 'bout that. Come on this way, mind the step..."

He led her to the single cell where Sky was locked up. A gas lantern burned next to the door, providing light.

"Well then, Skylar, looks like it's your lucky day. You're free to go. I'd tell ya to stay outta trouble, but something tells me it'd be a waste of breath." He unlocked the door and pulled it open for her, reaching up to tip his hat. "I'll be seein' ya."

Sky laughed a bit awkwardly as she steps out of the cell. "Er, I hope not! Thanks, Charlie." She joined Olivia by the doorway, rubbing her bare arms. The room was a bit chilly without the heat on. "Hey…thanks for coming," she said, giving her sister a grateful look.

Olivia really wanted to be angry with at her sister for awhile longer, but instead she found herself sighing in response. "Yeah...well, I'd say I hope you learned your lesson, but I know you haven't. At least this way I know you'll be out of trouble for two weeks. Let's go."

Sky followed her out, waiting while she paid her bail amount in full. She knew she had to stop asking Olivia to rescue her from jail all the time. Either that or she needed to stop getting caught. She'd been putting more effort into the latter, but tonight just hadn't been her night. Sky supposed she should simply take the small victories where she could get them. She knew her father would have been proud, and that was enough for her.

Finally they were on their way out the door and Sky gave a polite nod toward the Sheriff. "Bye, Lowell! Hope you guys have a good night." Although even while she said that, she knew good and well that she'd completely ruined their evening…and most everyone else's.

The sisters walked home in silence, the scuffing of their shoes against the ground the only sounds that could be heard.

As the inn came into view at the end of the street, Olivia cleared her throat. "So...what'd you do, turn the plant off?"

Sky pursed her lips, holding her head high as she answered, "Yes."

Olivia rolled her eyes. "What the hell for?"

"You know _exactly_ what the hell for."

The innkeeper groaned, and silence befell them once more. They walked the length of the street and finally arrived at the entrance to the Dwyer Inn, where Olivia pushed the door open only to notice the crazy, spiky-haired man standing in the foyer with a lit lantern.

Vash's face brightened at the sight of them. "Good evening, ladies!" His huge grin was accentuated by the glow of the light. "Just dropped by for a lantern!"

Olivia regarded him briefly. "Yeah, sorry about that...something happened with the plant in town. They're working on getting it back up and running right now. We're still going to have dinner even if it's by candlelight, though you could take it in your room if you prefer."

"I think I _would_ prefer that, if you don't mind...and hey, I don't mind the dark too much. The mood is rather romantic, wouldn't you say?"

Olivia rolled her eyes. "I wouldn't." She turned on her heel and walked back to the kitchen.

Sky watched Olivia disappear from the room and then glanced back at the blond man. "So, is your friend still alive?"

Vash blanched for the barest moment before hurrying to reply, "Yeah, of course he is! A few fresh bandages and a couple weeks of sleep and he'll be good as new! AHAHAHA HA HA HA HA HA! But enough about me! Looks like _someone_ had a really fun evening. Where've you been, missy?"

She averted her eyes, not wanting to explain that she'd just come from jail. "None of your business. Weren't you going to the festival? I was...wondering how that turned out."

Vash waved a hand. "Nah. I decided to stay in tonight. I guess it must've been canceled when the power went out though. Hmmm...wonder when it's going to come back on? I was going to take dinner in my room, but I don't suppose you'd be interested in having a candlelit dinner with me, would you?"

She sighed, a little disappointed with that answer. He seemed like just the kind of idiot who would flock to an event such as that festival, and probably the same type who would be immensely dismayed by its cancelation.

Sky shook her head, rejecting the offer. "Not really. As if I can trust someone who won't even tell me his real name." She pushed past him and headed down the hall, muttering under her breath about going to bed.

Vash opened his mouth to protest, but the words died on his lips as he realized that she was right. "Uhhh, well…have a good night at least!"

 _'_ _Even if I did tell her, it's not like she would believe me...'_


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes:** Once again, thank you to those who reviewed/faved/followed! The input really means a lot to us and we are always excited to see an alert in our inbox! :)

* * *

 **.: Chapter 3 :.**

* * *

"Ew, that's disgusting..." Sky made a face as she gingerly picked up a leftover undergarment between her thumb and forefinger from where it had been carelessly strewn over the bedpost. Sometimes the people who came to stay at the inn would leave questionable items behind. In the last room, she had found a plate of food in the closet that was well on its way to becoming its own miniature environment. "Who does this crap? Is there someone wandering around without underpants?! What the hell!"

She tossed the article of clothing into the trash bin, which was already filled with miscellaneous discarded items. It was completely incredible the way people could use a room for just one night and then leave it looking like a typhoon had swept through it.

Sky let out a long sigh as she resumed wiping down the wooden frame of the bed. Three days had gone by since Olivia had sentenced her to cleaning duty at the inn in exchange for bailing her out of jail, although to Sky it had already felt more like three _years_. She certainly had a new respect for the previous cleaning lady, that was for damned sure.

She finished cleaning up the room as quickly as possible. It was getting to be lunch time, and she'd been busting her rear all morning. Weekends were the inn's busiest time and, as she'd quickly learned, the most laborious.

While she was dragging a black garbage bag out of the room, the sound of laughter reached her ears from the lobby. Their guest, the so-called 'Mr. Smith,' had a very distinguishable and rather loud voice, so she could immediately tell who the laughter belonged to. Seconds later, a resounding slap could be heard and Sky rolled her eyes. It seemed that the guy never learned. Either that or he was actually a masochist.

Her eyes darted toward the back of the hall just then. Olivia had given her strict instructions to avoid entering her old room, citing that Mr. Smith had requested the room be left alone. Sky had never intended on adhering to that rule, though she hadn't yet been given the opportunity to contravene. That blond man never seemed to leave. It was as if he secretly knew that she was just waiting around for a chance to slip inside the room. How irritating.

Sky was convinced that he was hiding something big, but Olivia would hear nothing of it. They _did_ need the money, that much was true, though Sky had to wonder if they were unwittingly harboring some kind of nefarious misdeed.

More importantly, though, that room still _technically_ belonged to her and she really needed some things from her closet. Sheriff Lowell had refused to give her back the items he'd confiscated from her upon her indictment, stating that they'd been used to commit the crime and therefore must be kept as evidence. Luckily, Sky had extra supplies...the downside being that they were currently under lock and key in _that_ room. She couldn't move forward with any of her schemes without her equipment...

She paused, straightening up to listen in on the conversation as the voices of Mr. Smith and Olivia drifted down the hallway.

.

oOo

.

"OH, MISS OLIVIA! You sure know how to wound a man! AHAHAHAHA!" Vash rubbed the fresh red slap mark that adorned his cheek, courtesy of the innkeeper's right hand. He supposed he just didn't know how to keep his mouth shut in certain situations, being that he was a natural-born flirt.

Olivia turned her back to him, returning to what she'd been working on previously. Vash noticed that amid all the keys and paperwork and the cash register, there were also several chalkboards and different-colored pieces of chalk scattered on the desk in Olivia's office. The things she wrote were almost unintelligible, as if she had invented her own language—a mad scrawl of numbers, letters, circles, and symbols. He idly wondered what she did during her free time; she sure wasn't writing down recipes…although on that note, she _had_ turned out to be a decent cook. Olivia had made donuts for Vash on special request and although they weren't the normal donut fare he was used to, he'd found himself enjoying the strange, square-shaped pastries covered in powdered sugar. The mess was another thing—his jeans were fairly covered in patches of white powder and any attempt to brush it off only seemed to make it worse.

He was about to head into town on another supply run, being that his bandage materials were running low. He'd had to change them more frequently than anticipated as a result of Knives' movements agitating the gunshot wounds. Though he was chained, Knives would often thrash about in his sleep, his face contorted in pain and anguish, beads of sweat rolling down his forehead while presumably unimaginable horrors raced through his mind.

Vash had done his best to keep his brother comfortable, though there was only so much that he could do to ease Knives' pain in their current situation. The guilt was already eating at him, but what was the alternative? Trusting Knives right now was absolutely not a risk Vash could take, no matter how apathetic the other plant seemed. Though he could at least do something about the way the cuffs had been cutting into Knives' wrists and ankles, so Vash was going to attempt to find something to line them with. It would be preferable to ripping up the sheets and towels at the inn. He imagined Olivia would like him even _less_ if he did that.

"Don't miss me too much while I'm gone!" He called over his shoulder.

The only reply came in the form of a dismissive grunt from the red-headed woman as the sixty-billion double dollar man headed for the door.

.

oOo

.

The telltale chime resonated all the way down the hall, and Sky hesitated for only a moment before she dropped the garbage bag beside the door of the room she'd been standing beside.

He was gone. Now was the chance she'd been waiting for, especially since Olivia was distracted. Sky had seen her a little while ago, completely entranced in her work, and knew that her sister would likely be occupied for several hours. Particularly since Sky had purposely mentioned having noticed a missing towel in one of the rooms.

She turned down the hall, making her way toward the end of the building where she normally stayed. Pausing by the door, she listened very carefully for any kind of sound within. She wondered what sort of condition the man inside would be in. She couldn't help the thoughts that flooded her mind once again. What if he really needed a doctor? What if 'Mr. Smith' was a criminal keeping an injured hostage?

Her heart began to pound at the prospect of walking into a dangerous situation, though it did nothing to deter her from her current plan of action.

She slowly knelt, pulling a pin from the mass of hair tied up on top of her head. If 'Mr. Smith' was a reasonably intelligent man, he should have locked the door before he left. Not that a locked door was a problem for her. Sky made quick work of it, manipulating the lock through the key hole until she heard the satisfying 'click.' Slowly she rose to her feet, her hand grasping the knob, only waiting a moment longer before she twisted it and pushed the door open.

Knives lay prone on the bed within, but he'd been all too aware of the intruder; his keen senses had detected her—yes, _her,_ judging by the lighter footsteps and more graceful movements—even before she'd approached the door.

So, was it a robbery in progress? Knives held back the urge to snort, thinking that any type of thief would be sorely disappointed with what they found inside this room. The décor wasn't much to look at, for one thing; it was dull and lifeless, the furniture shabby, and the previous owner's possessions were mostly worthless junk and common items. Nothing of any value, though he'd seen his brother giggling over the contents of some of the drawers when he thought Knives was asleep.

Sky slowly entered the room, wary eyes searching the darkness. She could just make out a figure reclining on the bed just ahead, though a small voice in the back of her mind discouraged her from approaching.

A soft jangling from the bed signaled movement from its inhabitant just then, and Sky stopped to listen, her gaze trained upon the shadowy figure. Alarm bells went off inside her head, but she couldn't turn back. Not until she'd learned the truth.

She swallowed inaudibly, all words having turned to dust in her throat. Why was every instinct in her body suddenly urging her to run?

The bed creaked loudly as Knives pushed himself up into a sitting position, though he wavered momentarily with the sudden change in equilibrium. He hated how weak he still felt. He could no longer borrow the regenerative prosperities of his brethren to heal his wounds, so his body would have to manage on its own. What a long and tedious process…

His eyes shone faintly blue in the dim lighting of the room, glaring daggers at the outline of the slim figure nearby. He rattled the chains on his arms, ignoring the pain that shot through sensitive, raw flesh as he leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees.

"Who's there…?"

Sky nearly flinched at that tone of voice, combined with the decidedly ominous atmosphere of the room. An uneasy feeling had set up camp in the pit of her stomach. With the help of what little light that filtered in from just outside the door, she could barely manage to make out his face. His features were largely obscured in shadow, giving him a rather hair-raising appearance that did very little to quell the nagging voice in the back of her mind. And his eyes, a sharp icy blue, seemed to pierce right through her despite the lack of light, chilling her to the bone.

The words were caught in the back of her throat, and she swallowed once before speaking. "Room service," she managed to say.

The reply was a scoff as the eyes continued to bore into her. "I didn't call for room service. And to my knowledge, room service should knock rather than break in."

Sky nodded feebly. "Right...I'm sorry about that."

 _He was definitely not friendly._ She did her best to keep her wits about her, remembering the reasons she had gone into that room to begin with. Carefully stepping away from the door, Sky slowly moved toward the wall and felt around for the light switch.

"Pardon the intrusion. I just needed a few things from this room..." She found the switch and flipped it. A dim light flickered on from the lamp fixed onto the ceiling, spreading a soft yellow glow about the room.

Her eyes quickly adjusted to the change in lighting and Sky had to hold back a gasp of shock. The jangling she'd heard as she entered the room...now she realized that she'd been hearing chains clinking against one another. Now she could see that the injured man was shackled to the bed—bloody bandages wrapped around each limb.

"What...what the hell is this...?" She squeaked out.

Her eyes went wide as she took in the sight before her, unwittingly taking a step backward. It was just like a scene from a horror story. She'd been right to worry! Mr. Smith was a madman! Her lips fumbled for words as her mind raced through all the possible reasons that this man could have ended up in such a predicament.

She shook her head. "I knew it, that guy is a psychopath!" Regaining her composure, Sky started toward the bed, noting as she grew closer that the cuffs had been cutting into the man's wrists. She could probably get them off him; surely they weren't any different than every other lock she'd picked. "Hold on, I'm going to get you out of here!"

Knives sucked in a breath through his teeth, torn between the desire to be free of the shackles that kept him prisoner and the aversion for her proximity. He bristled at the sensation of her cold, slender fingers brushing against the hot skin of his irritated wrist when she reached for the first cuff. He snarled when the cool metal scraped against injured flesh in her rush to help him, and although the action certainly hurt, it was his pride that suffered most of all.

 _Help._ Help HIM.

Knives felt more bitterness creep into his chest. Since when had he become such a pitiable creature? He was a _god_. A perfect specimen. Powerful beyond all comprehension of these insufferable _humans._ Yet there he was, forced to endure such humiliation just to gain some semblance of freedom. His lips were pressed thin, corners twisting downward as he waited, eyes fixed in a glare as he watched her work.

Sky's brow was furrowed in concentration and she tried not to pay attention to the way his enduring glower made her hair stand on end. Who knew when Mr. Smith—that _deranged son of a bitch_ —would be back? What would he do to her if he caught her freeing his prisoner? She didn't want to find out, but things weren't progressing as quickly as she would have liked; the locks were more complicated than she had anticipated, and the cuffs much heavier than most. She had a thought that Mr. Smith might have had them custom made to suit his victims, and that thought made her skin crawl. _Sicko._

The first cuff clicked open and she pried it the rest of the way open. She felt him flinch when her fingers grazed over his skin as she slid it off his wrist.

"It's okay," she assured him as she let the metal cuff drop to the floor with a weighty thump, realizing that perhaps he'd been through more than she could have possibly known. "I'm not going to hurt..." She glanced up at his face just then and the words died on her lips. His stare cut right through her, sending a chill down her spine and alarm bells ringing in her head. "It's...it's okay," she repeated. "I'm only trying to help." She hoped that she sounded more confident than she felt. She swallowed, moving on to the next cuff at his ankle.

But seeing the way the cuff had cut through the cloth around his ankle silenced all the anxiety in her head. He was probably just scared, she reasoned to herself. And _of course_ he was! Anyone would have trust issues after having been locked up and chained to a bed, obviously tortured and mistreated! Sky was silent for the duration of the time she worked, moving from one cuff to the other, until finally she had reached the last one on his other arm. Once she got him out of there, Sky planned to go to Sheriff Lowell and report Mr. Smith right away. There was no way she could let such a horrific atrocity go unpunished!

When the last cuff dropped to the floor, Sky dared to meet his eyes again, offering a small smile. "There, all done! You're free! It's going to be okay."

Knives let out a long, slow, deliberate breath as he flexed his wrists, eyes lingering on the red welts on his skin. Yes…free, indeed. This _was_ much better.

The bed creaked as he stood, rising to his full height before her. Sky responded by rising from her crouch and taking a cautionary step backward, her gaze fixed upon his face; brow slightly drawn together and lips parted, as if she wanted to say something but couldn't find the words.

It was another moment before Knives realized that the look she was giving him was not one of awe, but _pity._ He felt a hot stab of anger at the thought of this wretched, _disgusting_ creature feeling any sort of sorrow for him. As if he were a whipped dog who'd just been freed from a cruel master. An animal let out of a cage.

He felt his blood boil. _Human arrogance._ They were all the same. All too willing to take pride in such trivial acts of benevolence _,_ as if such things excused them in any way from their inherent selfishness and the atrocities they'd committed.

His lips curled upward in a sinister smirk as he advanced toward her.

"I suppose you're expecting me to thank you," he finally said as he loomed over her, his voice deep and gravelly from lack of use.

Sky was a bit taken aback, and her tone reflected her unease. "Well, no, I mean…I just wanted to help you."

Knives' eyes became slits as a look of utter revulsion warped his already-sharp features. "Your sympathy is wasted on me, _little girl_."

His eyes bored into hers for another few seconds. Suddenly his hand shot out toward her neck, fingers easily clamping around her white throat. She had no time to react, only uttered a strangled noise of surprise as he applied pressure to her trachea. Her eyes bulged and she clutched at his hand with both of her own, trying to loosen his grip, but he was strong…far stronger than she would have imagined someone in his condition to be.

 _Why…?_

Knives had a dark look in his eyes as his grip continued to tighten, enjoying the way her face contorted in her struggle as he continued to cut off her air supply. It was all too _easy._ How could a species so _weak_ be so damaging to the world around them? How he hated them all. His lips twisted into a sneer, unaffected by the way her nails clawed at the hand that suffocated her, nor by the way she thrashed about in a feeble, failing attempt to break free.

He was crushing her. _Killing her._ Sky felt as though her head might pop right off her neck. Black spots began to swim before her eyes, her strength quickly fading. If she didn't get air soon...

Suddenly there was a rustling sound at the door, followed by crinkling and a loud thump as something was dropped.

"Knives!"

Vash's voice rang out as he slid into the room, nearly losing his balance in the process and gasping in horror at the scene before him. He dove at his brother, knocking Knives backward and forcing his arm from the girl's throat.

Caught off-balance, Knives fell, and the brothers rolled over onto the ground until Vash managed to pin down the other plant's arms.

"Vash…" Knives growled low in his throat as he struggled against the weight of his brother's body, annoyed by his weakened state and the fact that Vash had the upper hand yet again. "Get the hell off me, _brother._ I wasn't finished thanking my 'savior'." He let out a menacing cackle, not missing the pained expression that crossed his brother's face in response.

Typical. That fool was so soft for those _insects_.

Vash gritted his teeth and squeezed his brother's wrists where they were raw and bloody, eliciting a groan of pain from the other plant. He then released one hand, using the other to deliver a debilitating punch to Knives' abdomen. The action bought him just enough time to haul his brother back to the bed and secure his wrists and ankles once more.

Stepping back while Knives seethed in a silent rage, Vash turned to the girl. "Hey…Miss Sky! Are you alright?!"

Sky hadn't moved from the spot on the floor where she had collapsed. Her chest was still heaving as she gulped down mouthfuls of the oxygen she'd been deprived of, one hand delicately clutching at the ugly, hand-shaped bruise already forming on her throat. Her head was swimming, barely aware of what had just occurred.

Vash felt guilt crash over him, along with several other emotions that made his chest constrict. _How despicable…_ He couldn't help but reach out for her, gently taking her by the shoulders, and for a moment she allowed it…until she thought to look up at his face.

Panic took hold of her just then, and she jerked away as if she'd been stung. "N-no!" She choked out, her throat feeling just as compacted as it had moments ago.

With shaky legs, Sky pushed herself to her feet and took a few wobbly steps backward. She had to get out of there. Whatever it was that Mr. Smith was up to, clearly this 'injured man' was in on it as well. They were _both_ dangerous. Probably serial killers! She spared only a glance at her attacker, just to make sure he couldn't come after her again, before she turned and stumbled her way out of the room.

Knives grunted from the bed, and then a hysterical laugh bubbled up from his chest. His turned his head to stare up at his brother, eyes full of gleeful malice. "You just want to be one of _them_ , but you NEVER will be. You don't belong. Even the humans know that— _sense_ that. She thinks you're a psychopath!" He continued to laugh, even as it wracked his body with pain from the still-healing wounds.

Vash curled his hands into tight fists at his sides as he looked down at his brother again. A second later, he was taking off at a full run after the injured girl.

"MISS SKY! PLEASE WAIT!"

Sky heard him calling after her and although she initially did not intend to stop, she found herself leaning dizzily against the wall as she made her way down the hall. He easily caught up to her, but she whirled around before he had the chance to reach out and touch her.

"Don't!" She snapped, her eyes wild with fear.

Vash immediately backed off and held his hands up in a peaceful gesture. "Easy…easy…I promise you, I won't hurt you. I'm so sorry…please…just let me help you. This never should've happened." His brow furrowed in anguish. "I'm so sorry, Miss Sky…so sorry…please…" He reached out to her once again, more slowly.

She flinched away from him again, though not as forcefully as she had before. Her throat was hoarse and sore as it strained around her voice. "No! You...what the hell was that about?! Who ARE you?!" She demanded as her eyes filled with tears.

He sighed. This was the part he always dreaded the most; when they found out that he wasn't who he said he was. That he was something far worse…something so different that whenever the truth came out, the distance between himself and human beings suddenly became immeasurable. He hated every minute of it. All he wanted was to be close to them. He loved them all so much, truly.

Vash grimaced as he mentally prepared himself to have _that_ conversation, rubbing at the back of his head. "I'm sorry I had to lie to you, Miss Sky. I'm not proud of it. But you…you can see why I'm keeping him chained, can't you?"

Sky shook her head fiercely, her arms crossed protectively in front of her. "That's not an answer! Who _was_ that? Who are you?!"

Vash stared at the floor a moment before exhaling slowly, looking utterly defeated. "He's my brother," he admitted softly. "My name is Vash…"

Sky's mouth opened and closed a few times but no sound came out. _His brother?_ Her mind was racing as she tried to comprehend this new information. The name was familiar. Anyone who hadn't been living under a rock had heard it before. It was a name attached to legends. _Infamous,_ even. And, thinking about it, the so-called brother had indeed referred to him by that name; during her haze of near-unconsciousness she could distinctly remember that much.

"Vash?" She finally said, her voice having gone soft. "You don't mean...you can't mean..." She suddenly found herself needing to lean against the wall for support. _'Not the Humanoid Typhoon,'_ was what she'd wanted to say, but words eluded her.

"Yes," he solemnly confirmed, gentle eyes locking onto hers. "I'm sorry. I know you probably don't believe me, or wouldn't even want to, and I can't blame you. But I _am_ that Vash." He dropped his gaze, head bowing low. "We'll leave. Before dawn tomorrow, I promise we'll be gone. There won't be any more trouble."

Sky's hand still rested at her neck, and she was giving him a very scrutinizing look. She swallowed, wondering absently if her throat would ever feel the same again. Her mind was reeling, from both the attack and from the confession he'd just thrown at her.

"I think," she began, as her legs began to give out beneath her, "I think I need to sit down."

Vash moved forward just in time to catch her before she crumpled to the floor. He easily scooped her into his arms, noting that she was fighting to stay conscious.

"Miss Sky, you have to tell me…what room are you staying in? I'll bring you there so you can rest."

She squirmed a bit in his arms, but eventually decided it wasn't worth the fight. If he'd wanted to hurt her, he would have already done so. Still, she made an effort to keep her head upright as she pointed up the hall. "I'm in 104."

Vash nodded and carried her toward the room, noting that it was nearer to the front of the inn. Mercifully, the door was unlocked and he was able to get inside without much difficulty, pushing it the rest of the way open with his shoulder as he entered.

The room was bare and white without any trace of the owner's personality, which made sense given the fact that this was apparently not Sky's actual room. Vash approached her bed and gently placed her down, then took several steps backward in an attempt to give her plenty of space. He ran a hand through his hair as he fretted over the situation. She would no doubt have questions. How could he even begin to explain to her exactly what it meant to be Vash the Stampede? He'd given the insurance girl, Meryl, the abridged version of the sordid tale once, and he remembered the way her eyes had continually widened in ever-growing shock.

But this situation was different. Sky had nearly been killed, and this as all his fault. Vash wasn't sure anything could ever make up for that. People had a right to feel safe in their own homes, and he had violated that right by harboring Knives in _her_ home. Was anyone really safe in this town, as long as he and his brother inhabited it?

Vash watched her for a minute or two to be certain that she was alright. "Miss Sky, is there anything I can get for you? Anything from your room that you want? I…know we occupied it without your permission. I'm so sorry…I…" He trailed off not sure what else was appropriate to say. What kind of questions was she going to ask, if any? Should he just leave? Would she go to the Sherriff before he had a chance to skip town? Honestly, Vash wouldn't blame her for that.

Sky was silent for a while, still feeling rather overwhelmed by both the near-death experience and the revelation of his identity...which she was actually inclined to believe, as crazy as it seemed. Vash the Stampede...and he had a brother? She recalled with vivid clarity the strength with which said brother had gripped her neck, even in such a supposedly weakened state. Her throat felt raw, and she coughed against the phantom stricture that she couldn't seem to swallow down. She drew her legs up, tucking her knees beneath her chin as she studied the blond man carefully.

She _should_ go to the Sheriff, she thought to herself. She ought to report Vash and his horrible brother. She should have them arrested or, at the very least, exiled. How could she have possibly been living under the same roof as those two monsters? At the very least, Olivia needed to be informed. They'd both heard all the terrible rumors of the Humanoid Typhoon. Anyone would be insane to willingly allow him to take residence in their inn, no matter how badly they needed the money.

Hell, he had already promised to leave. She should tell him to go _now._

She should tell him off, she should be angry...she had every right.

But there was such anguish on his face at that moment that it cut right through her resolve and she found herself unable to say anything. He _expected_ it. He anticipated her anger at his deceit, to be turned in and kicked out right on the spot. She could see it in those soft aquamarine eyes that patiently awaited her decree.

How could this person in front of her be the very same one who'd been making a complete fool of himself just an hour before? Sky was at a loss for words. She couldn't even begin to try making sense of it all. Not yet. Not tonight.

"I have a duffle bag in the closet," she finally said. "That's all I wanted."

Vash nodded. He reached out, thinking to give her shoulder a comforting squeeze, but then thought better of it and pulled back. Contact was probably the last thing she wanted at that moment.

"Okay. I'll be right back."

Exiting through the open door, he made his way back to the borrowed room. He ignored the hoarse laughter of Knives as he dug through the closet and retrieved her duffle bag. It was heavy, he noted, and packed so tightly that the zipper barely held the bag closed. He tilted his head to the side, curious about what she might have stashed away in there, but no longer willing to infringe upon her privacy as he'd done with a certain underwear drawer. He wouldn't be pulling any stunts like that anymore, he vowed silently. Miss Sky deserved respect. And for the remainder of the time he'd be spending under the roof of her family's inn, he would give her every ounce that he could.

"What are you doing, brother?" Knives rattled his chains as he leaned forward on the bed. "Being her little errand boy, are you?" He smirked. "The levels at which you stoop to please the humans sickens me."

Vash grimaced and threw Knives a dirty look over his shoulder, trying to keep the emotion out of his voice as he shot back, "We're leaving at daybreak. I hope you're happy. They're probably going to come after us because of this. But what do you care? You don't care about anything at all."

He threw the bag over his shoulder and left quickly, before Knives could supply an answer. He didn't feel like interacting with his brother, he was so angry and upset with him in that moment that he didn't trust himself not to completely break down.


	4. Chapter 4

_**Notes:** Apologies for the longer wait for this chapter-lots of life stuff happening recently. Things are finally settling down so we're hoping to return to a steadier schedule! Anyway, as usual, HUGE "thank you" to our readers who've faved/followed and especially those who have given us feedback. Nothing makes us want to write more than some good old fashioned feedback, not gonna lie! LOL. But enough about that, on with the story! Enjoy! _

* * *

**.: Chapter 4 :.**

* * *

Sky was asleep for what felt like ages. Her unconscious hours were filled with dreams; vivid, nonsensical sequences that preyed on all of her vulnerabilities and drained her emotionally. When she woke the next morning, she found herself unable to recall anything specific. Only exhaustion remained. Her mind felt muddled, and it seemed that even in her sleep she was unable to turn it off.

She rolled onto her side, listening for signs of life outside the room and hearing nothing but the early birds chirping outside her window.

She'd gone to bed early, after all.

That's right...

 _Vash._

Sky sat up immediately and winced at the pain the action caused her. A hand went up to gingerly touch her neck, and everything from the day before came rushing right back. Sleep had allowed her to forget, but now she could recall the incident in vivid detail; _his_ eyes as he'd taken pleasure in choking the life out of her, icy as the words he'd spat at her as he had done it...and the discovery that he was, in fact, the brother of the infamous Vash the Stampede.

Vash the Stampede, who'd been inhabiting that very inn, _right under their noses_.

 _Oh, shit._

Sky exhaled slowly, her eyes growing wide as the revelation sank in all over again. She'd been too overwhelmed to properly process the information the night before, and if it weren't for the feeling of dread pooling in the pit of her stomach she _might_ have been able to convince herself that she'd simply imagined the entire thing. But the proof was as ugly mark wrapped around her neck and she knew there was no way she could turn a blind eye.

This— _they—_ needed to be dealt with.

 _"_ _We'll leave,"_ she remembered him saying to her. _"Before dawn tomorrow, I promise we'll be gone. There won't be any more trouble."_

Her eyes flickered toward the window, noting the first of the sun's orange rays just beginning to peek over the horizon. Would he stay true to his word? Was he already gone?

Surely it was for the best. By allowing those two to remain at the Dwyer Inn, she was putting everyone within the building in danger...possibly everyone in the city as well. It was a known fact that trouble followed the Humanoid Typhoon like a little lost puppy, and if his brother was anything at all like him, then the ensuing dangers could very well be _catastrophic._ Frankly, leaving town would be the most responsible and considerate thing that the Stampede could possibly do!

Still…Sky just couldn't shake the sorrowful looks he'd given her the night before, so full of remorse and guilt over what had happened to her. She recalled with great clarity the pained expression etched onto his face as he'd turned away at her request, after having brought her what she had asked for.

Maybe she was just a sucker, and maybe it was a stupid thought, but she couldn't help but wonder: what if Vash the Stampede really wasn't what the rumors had made him out to be?

At any rate, just sitting around and wondering about it wasn't going to get her any answers. It was time to be proactive.

Sky slid out of bed and stretched carefully, mindful of her sore neck. Peering into the mirror over the dresser, she nearly gasped at the mottled purple bruise marring her throat. It wasn't exactly the perfect shape of a hand, but even so there would be no questioning what had happened to her should someone catch sight of it. After quickly dressing in the dim morning light, she knelt to unzip the duffle bag Vash had brought in from her old room and fished out a thin blue scarf. Normally she only wore it while driving her bike through sandy desert storms. Today, however, and the next few days thereafter, it would be serving another purpose. She wrapped it loosely around her neck, effectively concealing the bruise and then checking her reflection in the mirror to confirm that it was well-hidden. She certainly didn't feel up to answering any questions about it; particularly from Olivia, of all people, who would no doubt be displeased that Sky had retired from her duties early the night before without providing any explanation whatsoever.

A moment later, Sky left the room as silently as she could, hoping the creaks and groans of the old wooden floor wouldn't cause the aforementioned sister to come looking for her.

 _"_ _Before dawn tomorrow, I promise we'll be gone,"_ Vash's words echoed in her mind again, broken and repentant. She stood still in the hall for a prolonged moment, hesitating as she stared back toward the end of the hall, eyes fixated on the door still shut tight and half-hidden in the shadows. And in spite of herself, in spite of _everything,_ Sky found herself hoping.

.

oOo

.

Vash hadn't slept that night.

He wished he could have, but every even breath that came from his brother was a painful reminder of too many things. His heart was being pulled in so many directions at once, and he just needed to sit in silence and process his thoughts. On one hand, he'd shot his brother down like a dog and then patched him up. On the other hand, he was now forced to keep Knives chained up so that he didn't harm any more humans. His brother had already demonstrated that he was ready and _more than_ willing to continue the genocide if the opportunity arose.

Vash gulped down the lump that filled his throat; unfortunately, the opportunity _had_ arisen.

He couldn't help but feel as though Sky had only been trying to help Knives. She must've been horrified to see him in such a condition, he surmised, and he knew that she blamed him for it wholeheartedly. Of course, she was right to blame him. He'd done this, and there was no way he could ever expect her to understand why. He should have known he couldn't keep a secret like this for so long. Maybe he should have gone back to that town where the insurance girls were after all. Maybe he should have gone back to visit what was surely Wolfwood's grave by now.

He just couldn't seem to hide no matter what he did.

Vash bit down on his thumbnail, chewing on the gloved part and pulling it forward. He wasn't sure why he was stalling. He had promised her that he would leave, and he fully intended to do so; in fact, he had already packed all his gear in anticipation of being out on the streets shortly. And if Sky had a lick of sense in her, she would report him to the Sherriff, which meant that they'd be targets again.

But Knives being conscious threw a wrench into his plans. How was he going to keep his brother from running off? Leave the chains on and walk him like a dog?

What was the alternative?

Vash's head dropped into his hands as he sat on the stoop in front of the Dwyer Inn, a cup of coffee he'd made himself from the kitchen going cold beside him.

The two suns were just peeking over the dusty brown horizon, turning the sky shades of orange and pink, and he had to remind himself that he had _promised,_ that he needed to get himself and Knives far away from February. Preferably before Sky woke up and saw him still sitting there.

That was, of course, the moment he heard the creak of worn hinges and the chime of a bell from behind. Vash froze, listening. The obvious hesitance of the other added an extra layer of tension to the atmosphere, though the suspense was short-lived, and a moment later he heard soft footsteps slowly approaching.

There was a long pause before a hoarse female voice remarked, "You're still here." The words did not sound accusatory, rather a bit surprised.

Vash sucked in his breath so quickly he almost choked. "M-Miss Sky!" He wanted to spout off a thousand apologies and assure her that he'd been about to leave, _honest_ , but as he turned around to do so, the look in her eyes caused all the words to die on the tip of his tongue.

She didn't look angry, or even afraid. Her willingness to approach him knowing the truth of his identity told him that much, though there was a certain amount of caution in the way she regarded him all the same. And her eyes…she was studying him with a soft sort of expression that he'd not often seen people give him. Sympathy? He felt a pang in his chest at the thought, and he wondered if he even deserved such a thing.

Sky softly cleared her throat, trying hard to speak as though her throat _hadn't_ nearly been crushed the night before. "I, uh, actually…I wanted to talk to you."

She felt a bit of nervousness well up in the pit of her stomach at the sight of him, but was that just because she knew the truth of his identity now? She swallowed, taking in the scene before her. She'd caught sight of him from the window as she'd approached the front of the inn after having been unable to gather the courage to enter the bedroom he and his brother occupied. There, she had spent a few minutes just watching him and trying to decide what she would say to him, what could actually be done about the situation. He'd looked lost in thought, somewhat slumped over, almost miserable...and as she stood there before him now, all the words she'd carefully strung together in her mind immediately dissipated.

Vash paused for a few seconds to collect himself, slightly confused. She wanted to talk? Most people just wanted him gone, or dead, and for far lesser offenses. What could he possibly say or do that would make this okay?

He couldn't bear to look at her any longer, but he patted the spot next to him in a friendly—if not somewhat timid—gesture.

Sky hesitated, her legs seemingly rooted to the spot, but after a moment she managed to urge her body forward. She approached him and then slowly sat beside him

There was another stretch of stillness while they simply sat together, both staring straight ahead. Sky fidgeted, taking several seconds to adjust the scarf and then combing her fingers through her long, loose hair. The rising suns were creating a beautiful image of serenity, setting the whole city aglow, and as she focused for a moment on the scenery she found herself somewhat soothed by it.

She broke the silence, asking the first question that popped into her mind. "What's his name?"

Vash almost considered asking her for clarification just to stall for time, but figured there was really no point in it. He knew exactly whom she was inquiring about. It seemed that her curiosity had won out over her desire for justice after all. Just who was this girl, anyway?

"His name is Knives," he finally replied, sounding a bit defeated. "We're…we're twins." Vash folded his hands in front of him, putting them down in his lap as a smile that never reached his eyes stretched across his face.

Sky's brow furrowed slightly. _Knives?_ Under less weighty circumstances, Sky might have scoffed and demanded to know what the hell kind of name 'Knives' was, and why their mother thought to torture him with a moniker like that. But today, she had more important matters on her mind.

"What's wrong with him?" She asked quietly, folding her arms across her knees as her eyes traveled back toward the horizon. She remembered Knives looking at her with such disgust, remembered the way he'd shrunk away from her as she'd been unlocking his cuffs.

Vash was tempted to chuckle. It was quite the loaded question. One he didn't know if he was ready to tell another human being yet. Though Meryl had flinched upon hearing it, certainly, it wasn't as though she'd ever done anything unscrupulous with the information. Of course, Knives hadn't wrapped his hand around Meryl's neck and tried to suffocate her either. She'd suffered at the hands of his henchman, but the man himself was a whole other matter.

"Well…let's just say he lost all faith in humanity a really long time ago…" About 150 years ago, to be precise, but Vash wasn't ready to disclose that bit. He wanted to tell her she had the right to ask him anything she wanted to and that he'd answer her with complete honesty, but he just couldn't bring himself to make that promise.

Sky was confused. "'Lost faith'? What does that mean? You have him chained to the bed in there...and now I see why, but it seems like there's much more to it than just 'losing faith in humanity'..."

She studied the step that her feet rested upon, eyes traveling up and down the cracks and creases in the weathered wood, recalling once again the way Knives had reacted to her touch…as if her hands had been poison on his skin.

She frowned. "Something bad happened to him, right...?"

Vash remained silent for a few moments, his breathing and hers the only sounds to be heard in the early morning. "Yeah…something horrible…when he was just a boy. It's stayed with him his entire life, and he's never been able to let go of it. His entire perception of the human race has been warped because of it. He's become so averse to everyone…sometimes even me."

She didn't immediately reply, instead choosing to let all of that sink in. What he said seemed to match up with what little she had seen...the fact that he was averse to touch, the disgust in his eyes when he'd looked at her, regarding her as though she were beneath him. Even so, his dangerous behavior was a rather extreme reaction even for someone who'd suffered a terrible childhood, and the fact that Vash seemed to be answering her questions with a purposeful vagueness only made her think that _he_ must have suffered greatly as well. The look on his face only solidified her belief in that.

Well, if he didn't want to talk about it then Sky decided she wasn't going to force him. She'd heard enough on that particular subject, anyhow. But there remained another very important matter that needed to be resolved, and so after letting out a slow breath, she directed the conversation toward her main point.

"Okay...I can understand that...but how are we going to deal with this going forward?"

Vash met her eyes again and was nearly taken aback by the earnestness he found. "You don't need to do anything at all, Miss Sky. It was wrong of me to endanger you and your sister by taking up here. The fact that you're being so understanding right now is more than either of us deserve. Don't worry, I'll take him someplace where you and everyone else will be safe from him." His eyes crinkled in a small smile that was really only meant to put her at ease.

"No," she blurted out before she could stop herself, the word sounding far more demanding than she'd intended. "You don't have to leave."

His eyes immediately grew wide, though the surprise quickly morphed into concern. "That's very nice of you, Miss Sky, but—"

"No, I mean it." She shifted position so that she was facing him. "Where would you even go, anyway? Look, I know…I sound crazy. I know your reputation. Everyone does. But that just doesn't match up with what I've seen. I'd rather form an opinion based on fact and not hearsay, and from what I've seen, you are _not_ a bad person." She gave him a rather sheepish look, shrugging her shoulders a bit. "I wanted to find you and tell you that before it was too late. I just…I want to help. And maybe I'm wrong, but…it really seems like you could use a friend."

Her speech gave him pause as he absorbed the unexpected kindness. He didn't really know what to say. This _was_ crazy! Knives had almost killed her! But...her offer of friendship was awfully appealing. And she was right; where else _could_ he go? Any other place suitable for the needs of an injured man would no doubt be surrounded by innocents. He was pretty much between a rock and a hard place, and Sky seemed to know that. If he could keep the of two of them apart—and make sure that Knives had no opportunities to harm anyone else—then maybe, _maybe_ things would be okay. At least until he could figure out a better arrangement.

Vash felt extremely selfish in that moment and he knew he should probably refuse her invitation to stay…but he hadn't had a friend in a while, and she'd shown him a sort of kindness that few others ever had before. Despite his better judgement, his resolve was weakening.

He looked away, rubbing the back of his neck. "I dunno, Miss Sky. With Knives around, I can never really guarantee your safety."

She bit back a shudder and a grimace, but she'd already made up her mind. "Yeah, I know that now. But if I hadn't been so hell-bent on getting to the bottom of your crazy lies, then I probably wouldn't have even bothered going in there to begin with, and none of this would have hap—" Sky stopped abruptly, noticing the look of guilt washing over his face, and she hurried to add, "I mean, I'm just saying! Now that I know all this, you can bet I'm not touching him with a ten-foot pole. I'm never freaking going in there again as long as he's here. But speaking of which…what _do_ you intend to do with him? At some point, he's going to heal. What then?"

Vash could only shrug helplessly. "I'm not really sure…I guess I just thought—I hoped—that I might be able to change his mind, if only a little bit. Enough so he could find a little peace here among everyone, anyway." He sighed, not wanting to admit that even _he_ was beginning to feel as if that was a bit too optimistic. "But I think he's just in a state of limbo right now…so apathetic that he doesn't even care if he heals or not. His eyes…they've been so empty…well, until he…" Vash paused to swallow before he continued, "until he attacked you."

"I see." Sky pursed her lips, unsure of what else to say to that.

He sighed, leaning over to cover his face with his hands. "It's not progress by any means, but it shows that he's still got some life in him, sorry as I am that he chose to show it in that way." He dropped his hands, giving her a meaningful, earnest look. "Thank you…I can't tell you what this means to me…to _us_. You're entirely too understanding after what you went through…we don't deserve it, not a bit…but I mean it. _Thank you._ "

She nodded, meeting his gaze with a small smile. "Well, you're welcome."

The suns continued to crawl their way higher into the sky at a steady pace, brightening the environment little by little, and now they could begin to make out the sounds of people starting their day; a window creaking open, a voice calling out to a pet who had wandered outside, a car passing by on the street here and there, idle chatter of neighbors in the distance. It wouldn't be long before Olivia would be up and about as well, and Sky wanted to finish the conversation before her sister wandered outside for an early morning smoke and caught the two of them talking.

She exhaled a sigh, threading her fingers together and swallowing once more, as if such an act would rid her of the irritation in her throat. "And just so you know, I'm not going to tell my sister about any of this. I think it would just cause a frenzy, anyway, if people found out that Vash the Stampede was in town," she added, recalling a false alarm a few years ago that involved riots in the street and the entire town shutting down, all over one little rumor that a bunch of kids had started as a prank in order to get out of going to school for a couple of days. If they'd reacted _that_ badly to something that had turned out to be completely false, how much worse would it be if it were the real deal?

Besides, she thought, he seemed to have no ill intent toward anyone in February...and he did not appear to have any other options. As long as he could keep his troubled twin under control...why cause needless panic?

"But," she continued after a moments' pause, "you have to agree to something in return. I'll keep quiet about this, but _only_ if you're straight with me from now on. No more ridiculous stories. I mean, honestly, I knew you were lying to me right from the start. I just didn't know what it was about. You can't imagine what I thought when I got into that room...seeing him, _Knives_...chained up like that...I thought you were a serial killer! That's why... _that's_ why I freed him."

Vash blinked in surprise; he hadn't really imagined what that might have caused a normal person to think, had they found out what he was doing with his brother. He simply hadn't predicted being discovered. At least not so soon. He should've known better, being that trouble more than followed him, it clung to his ankles and pulled at his sleeves like a small child who didn't want to be left behind.

He turned to look at the girl, feeling overwhelmingly grateful for every word she'd said to him. "Deal." He reached over and held out his hand to seal the deal.

Sky felt a genuine smile tugging at her lips for the first time since yesterday and she leaned over slightly so she could grasp his hand and shake on it. She only hoped that she was truly making the right call. Vash was one matter, but his brother...well, she supposed they'd be leaving anyway once Knives had fully recovered.

After that, she would never have to see that monster again.

.

oOo

.

It was still there, at the place he'd set it when he first arrived at the Dwyer Inn in February; Wolfwood's cross punisher. It stood, leaned up against the wall on the left-hand side of the door and beginning to gather a thin coating of dust from lack of use.

Miss Olivia had given it a couple of funny looks, but she seemed to sense that it came as part of the packaged deal of Vash, aka 'Mr. Smith', and his mysterious brother. He had been paying her a pretty handsome sum for the room they were renting, so aside from the odd look or two now and then, she didn't mention it.

Vash couldn't bear to move it again. It was damned heavy, for one thing; it weighed more than Knives. He didn't know how he'd managed to carry them both all those isles. Looking at it hurt, but sometimes Vash found he just couldn't help it.

It was covered in its white cloth and black belts again now, but he remembered a time when it wasn't and a time that it had been pointed at him with intent to kill. In that moment, Vash thought he might have let Wolfwood do it...if that had really and truly meant the priest would never kill anyone else.

Little did he know, that was one of the last conversations he'd ever have with the man whom he now realized had been his best friend. It cut to the quick, the sharp pain that flashed through his chest at the thought of him.

He remembered their very last exchange with aching clarity. He'd just seen the sniper sent from the Gung Ho Guns end his own life out in the desert. It had torn him part inside to know that the man thought he had no other choice. He was just sitting there feeling sorry for himself, and Wolfwood had stumbled up to him.

 _"_ _What's wrong?"_

 _"_ _I failed. I failed to save someone again."_

 _"_ _Man is born a mortal being, and we all make mistakes. It's part of the game. Just be more careful the next time."_

 _"_ _It's hard for me to accept making mistakes like this."_

 _"_ _Then you can choose to suffer. That's also a part of the experience of mortal life."_

 _"_ _Oh, yeah. 'Mortal'..."_

He clenched his fists at his sides, remembering those words. He'd been stewing in regret over his own mistakes and hadn't even realized that his best friend needed help; not until it was too late. He'd looked up again and the priest was gone, leaving only a trail of blood in his wake.

Vash had taken off like a shot, following it straight into the church where he found Wolfwood; unmoving, clinging to his unwrapped cross in front of the altar, a half-smoked cigarette on the floor next to him. Eyes closed. Hand lifeless.

Trying to contain his panic, he'd frantically felt for a pulse, trying multiple places over and over until finally he found one...but it was faint…so faint. With the utmost care, he'd managed to get Wolfwood to the closest doctor. It had been an agonizingly slow process, even with the help of the insurance girls, and with each halting step he'd feared that the priest would take his last breath.

He remembered the wide-eyed bewilderment at the doctor's office when he'd brought Wolfwood in, tears running down his dusty face. They'd immediately taken the unresponsive priest into the operating room, given him a blood transfusion and prepped him for surgery. Vash had heard things like 'collapsed lung', 'penetrating abdominal trauma' and 'hypovolemic shock' but he'd felt as though he were hearing them from very far away and they hadn't made much sense at the time.

Later, he'd rewrapped the cross punisher for Wolfwood. He had set it next to the man's hospital bed once he'd been cleared for visitors after surgery. Vash had remained there by his side for as long as the doctors would allow in between treatments, refusing to leave for food or even sleep while he waited for his friend to wake up.

On the third day, the machine monitoring Wolfwood's heart had stuttered, skipped and finally flatlined. Panicked, Vash had leapt to his feet and shouted for help. The room quickly filled with staff, one of them pushing a cart full of equipment. They began CPR. They stripped his chest and used the defibrillator. Helpless, Vash was herded from the room by a nurse and told to wait outside.

That was the last time he'd seen his friend.

Hours later, he and the insurance girls stood before the doctor in charge of Wolfwood's case. Her words were burned into the back of Vash's mind:

 _"_ _I'm afraid Mr. Wolfwood has suffered from sudden cardiac arrest. We've managed to resuscitate him, but he still hasn't woken up. We can't be sure how much brain damage he's sustained…"_

She'd gone on to cite complications during surgery as the cause of the heart attack, solemnly stating they had done all that they could and would continue to do so. Vash vaguely recalled hearing the term 'therapeutic hypothermia', but the look in the doctor's eyes and the tone of her voice told him all that he needed to know.

He remembered drawing in a deep breath, reminding himself to stay strong, trying not to break down then and there. Trying not to throw things and run back into that little room and _scream_ at Wolfwood to get the hell out of that bed, to get up and come fight with him, because that's who Wolfwood was: a _fighter._

Instead he had simply nodded numbly, rooted to the spot. He'd pulled away from the doctor and gone to stare out the window at the mundane scene in town; people just passing by, shopping or out for a stroll or on the way to work. He'd gripped his fist and banged it against the glass, rattling the panes. They didn't know just how lucky they were.

Worse still was that he'd been unable to stay any longer. Time was up. Knives was waiting for him, and the longer Vash stalled, the more innocents were at risk. With a heavy heart, Vash had taken Wolfwood's cross with him and he'd left. Left knowing that Wolfwood was going to die, and there wasn't a Goddamned thing he could have done to stop it.

Vash sincerely hoped for Wolfwood's sake that there really _was_ a God...and that the paradise he'd dreamed of existed somewhere.

Even so…he couldn't imagine how a God who was supposedly so merciful could allow so much suffering to exist on this planet.


	5. Chapter 5

**.: Chapter 5 :.**

* * *

His consciousness flickered, as if a child were messing with the blinds on a window. One moment he was in the midst of a brightly lit room, the next everything had gone dark and he'd returned to the endless loop of visions that tormented his mind: those last moments, words spoken that he'd been unable to take back...actions he'd taken that had set him on the path he'd traveled. Those eyes...the disappointment in those sad eyes haunted him at every turn, no matter which state he found himself in.

He often wondered in his haze of broken thoughts if this was actually the Hell that he'd been condemned to endure for all eternity. After all, wasn't this just what a man such as himself deserved? Wasn't he now reaping exactly what he'd sown?

It went on like this for what seemed like days, weeks, months...he couldn't tell. Shadows would appear above him, reaching out with gnarled hands, gripping his body and piercing his hot skin with their claws...only to vanish as quickly as they had come, leaving him with nothing but the emptiness and the darkness...leaving so that the real anguish could continue.

 _The lies, the screams, the gunshots ringing in the air..._

It was his own cross to bear. He'd dug his own grave, hadn't he? If he were doomed to repeat those last moments, then he'd simply have to accept that. This was his existence, now and every day thereafter...

Until all of a sudden, it wasn't.

"Doctor! Doctor!" A voice full of urgency called out from somewhere nearby. "His condition has stabilized overnight! You have to come see this!"

What sort of memory was he being forced to relive now? He couldn't recollect any of it, and the voice was not one that he recognized. Everything hurt...but now the pain was not limited to his psyche. His entire body felt as though someone had tossed him into a meat grinder.

He groaned, and was almost surprised by the sound of his own voice.

"Doctor Lowry!" The voice continued to cry out.

 _Female_ , he now realized. He was beginning to pick out some of the other sounds around him now. A steady beeping, the scuffing of feet, the creak of a door opening.

"I'm here," came another female voice.

He heard papers rustling. Someone coughed. He was trying to catch a glimpse of his surroundings, but the world was blurry and nothing seemed to focus quite right.

"What do you think?"

The other female sounded very pleased. "I don't believe it...! I was sure that we would arrive this morning to hear some bad news. I never expected him to wake up from that coma."

Just a bit more...light was all around him. He could just make out the shapes of the owners of those voices, but it was bright... _so damn bright_...

"It's wonderful, though!" The first voice exclaimed. "Especially considering the condition he came to us in." The voice floated closer and the light suddenly became dimmer, allowing his vision to finally focus. A woman in white was leaning over him, smiling as she spoke to him. "Hello there, good morning! Can you hear me?"

He was confused. Wasn't he dead? His lips began moving of their own accord, a question at the tip of his tongue, but he only managed to produce a dry cough that further agitated his aching body.

"Here," the woman said as she turned away from him.

A moment later, his upper body began to right itself, slowly, until he was nearly in a sitting position. The woman reappeared in his line of vision and stretched her arm out. He glanced down and saw that she was offering him a glass of water with a straw, and he gratefully accepted, gulping down its contents until he was only sucking at air. How long had it been since he'd had something to drink?

A sigh escaped his lips as he let his head fall back onto the pillow behind him. The cold liquid was running down his throat, filling his stomach, cooling his body.

Could all of this be real? Was it possible that he'd actually survived?

"How are you feeling?" Asked the woman in the white outfit that he now recognized to be a nurse's uniform.

He tried to speak once more. "I...I'm...good," he decided after a brief pause.

Finally able to focus, his eyes traveled around the room, taking in his surroundings. The walls were white, as was practically everything else in the room. The faint smell of bleach and disinfectant reached his nose. Nearby, he could see another woman dressed in a white coat, currently involved in writing something down on a clipboard.

"That's great to hear," chirped the woman at his side. "You've been in a coma for about three and a half weeks now. Do you...remember anything that happened before?"

He nodded weakly, trying not to call back all the images that he'd finally managed to banish to the back of his mind. "Yeah...mostly."

"If you don't mind, then, I have a few questions for you. Just to make sure," she continued. "First one...can tell me your full name?"

He hesitated for only a moment before he replied, "Nicholas. Nicholas D. Wolfwood."

.

oOo

.

Meryl Stryfe chewed on her thumbnail as she drummed her free hand on the round table she was sitting at. She and her partner from the Bernardelli Insurance Company, Milly Thompson, were at the hospital that Mr. Wolfwood had been admitted to after Vash had brought him there, nearly dead. It was upon Milly's insistence that they visited him every day because "it's what Mr. Vash would do."

They had just received word that he'd finally come out of the coma. Presently, they were waiting for his doctor to give the 'all clear' for visitors.

So there she sat with a lukewarm cup of coffee in front of her. Meryl was on edge these days more than ever. Ever since Vash had left to go fight his brother, to the death she assumed, she had been able to think of little else.

 _How dare he keep me waiting this long…_

The sequence of events kept running through her head over and over; Vash's solemn face after having given up hope on Wolfwood, having to leave when he'd been unable to wait any longer. She'd stopped him then and he had told her…everything, or at least the abridged version of it.

She wondered if she was an idiot to expect him to return here. He'd given up hope on Wolfwood already, so why was there any reason for him to come back…? Meryl hoped that perhaps he might have cared about her. She'd wanted to tell him about the feelings she'd just recently discovered, but in the end she'd been too much of a coward to say anything at all and had let him walk away.

Possibly to his death.

His death…no… _was that why he hadn't come back yet?_

Meryl shook her head violently, trying to clear away the negative thoughts. No! That couldn't possibly be it. Though he was more than stupid enough to accomplish such an easy feat as dying, she had also seen him fight, and she believed in him.

"MILLY!" Meryl suddenly stood to her full height of just under five feet, slamming her hands flat against the table.

"Coming!"

The taller woman came rushing in from the next room over, where she'd been attempting to get a snack from the vending machine although it seemed that the machine only wanted to eat up every double dollar she'd fed it without giving her anything in return. But all her frustration instantly melted away at the sight of her best friend and business partner; it had been a while since Meryl had looked so lively, and while the brunette was admittedly not in tune to a lot of the more subtle things in life, she'd had no trouble figuring out just what it was that had caused Meryl to become so glum...or rather, _whom_.

"What is it, Meryl?"

"We're going to go look for him!"

Milly's eyes shone brightly with excitement upon hearing the declaration. She clasped her hands together and beamed down at her shorter partner. "Oh, Meryl! Are we really going after him?"

"Yes, we're going after him! Who ELSE is going to clean up his mess and write the report on him? Heaven knows we can't trust the home office to do a thing about it!" She began pacing, waving one of her arms frantically while the other rested on her hip.

"That's wonderful! I just know Mr. Vash is safe and sound, you _know_ how he is! He probably just didn't want us to get in trouble for following after him! Besides, you have some great news for him! I'm sure he'd love to hear about Mr. Wolfwood!" Her light eyes darted to the door across the hall, where the priest was sleeping soundly just behind it.

"That lunatic, he thinks he can just leave for nearly a month without sending word that he's ALIVE for heaven's sake! I knew we couldn't trust him! Milly…as soon as we're able to make sure Mr. Wolfwood is alright, we'll be on our way. Of course we'll have to stop for donuts somewhere along the way, but who even KNOWS where we'll find him! I bet we have to drag his ass out of some sand pit in the desert again! What a helpless, hopeless moron!" She began laughing with an irritated look on her face.

Perhaps her posturing would cover up the way she _really_ felt, as she was 100% certain that she was going to start crying if-no, WHEN-she found him safe and alive.

Milly's grin only grew brighter as she listened to her companion carry on, watching as Meryl animatedly moved about the room. "Yup, you're probably right!" She nodded fervently in agreement as a pair of footsteps approached the room from the hall just outside.

The two women looked up as a man wearing a white coat rapped gently on the doorframe before entering.

"Good afternoon, ladies. I'm Dr. McCormick. You must be friends of Mr. Wolfwood."

"Oh, yes!" Milly exclaimed. "That's right, we are! Do you have any news about him yet?"

Dr. McCormick couldn't help but smile back at her enthusiasm. "Actually, I was just told by his doctor to inform the both of you that he's been officially cleared for visitors. You can go ahead and see him now, if you like. He's been doing quite well since he woke up yesterday morning...I'd almost call it a miracle if I believed in that kind of thing," he added with a chuckle.

Milly squealed with delight. "Did you hear that, Meryl? We can go see Mr. Wolfwood now!"

"Huh?" Meryl had been entirely distracted with her own thoughts during Milly's exchange with the doctor. "Oh, right, right! Coming!" She followed the taller girl to the door of Wolfwood's room that was now open.

He looked as though he were still asleep. The curtains were drawn, letting in only a little light from the cracks. The rise and fall of his chest was steady as the heart monitor beeped next to him, much stronger than before.

Meryl smiled despite herself and whispered to Milly, "Thank goodness he made it. Vash is going to be so happy…" She trailed off, kicking herself mentally for letting all of her thoughts go back to Vash.

Milly smiled and nodded, her hands clasped tightly in front of her as she took in the sight of the slumbering priest. They both remembered the look on the Stampede's face after Wolfwood's doctor had delivered the bad news; he'd put on a strong front as he bid them both farewell, but there was immeasurable sorrow buried beneath each word he'd spoken. It had physically hurt to listen to him. For someone so practiced at concealing his pain behind a smile, it had so obviously bled from every crack in the door he'd tried so hard to hide it behind.

Wolfwood had easily seen through the facade. He always had. Perhaps because they had more in common than they knew; dark secrets, painful pasts...so different, yet so similar at the same time.

"Maybe we should come back later when he's awake, Milly…" Meryl tugged on her partner's sleeve for the two of them to leave when she happened to notice Wolfwood's eyelids fluttering.

He opened his blue-gray eyes just then, blinking a few times as recognition finally crossed his features.

"Well aren't you two a sight for sore eyes...?" He allowed the two of them a small smile. "Long time no see, I think..."

Milly immediately began to cry, large tears welling up in her eyes as she covered her mouth with both hands. "M-Mr. Wolfwood! Y-you're okay, you're really okay!" She whimpered as she reached for a handkerchief from inside one of her back pockets.

Wolfwood's eyes widened slightly as the larger woman continued to weep with unabashed joy. "Hey, you don't...you don't have to cry, it's alright now..."

At least he _hoped_ it was. He'd been a little surprised when the doctor informed him that two of his friends had stuck around...and that a third had left somewhere around three weeks ago. He knew exactly where Vash had gone off to, and what he'd gone to do... But the fact that the insurance girls were both still here made him think that neither of them had heard any news of the Humanoid Typhoon since then.

Well, that was alright, he thought. It wasn't unusual for he and Vash to go their own separate ways. More than that, though, remained the fact that Wolfwood had betrayed the very person who had become his closest his friend. Vash had a very forgiving nature, but Wolfwood wasn't so sure that there was any going back after such a thing.

He surely didn't deserve to be forgiven.

Meryl patted Milly's arm as she continued to cry, trying to get her to calm down. "Milly, it's fine!" She turned to Wolfwood. "Well I don't know how you managed to do it, Wolfwood. You seem to be taking a page from Vash's book." She put a hand on one of her hips, giving him a wry look. "I'm glad you're alright though…"

He still looked rather weak and tired but he was putting on his happiest face for them, she could tell. She chewed on her thumbnail again as she watched Milly fuss over him after wiping her tears away. She honestly couldn't wait to get the hell out of this town and track Vash down, she just didn't know when Wolfwood would be well enough to make that trek.

"We're going after him, you know," she announced. "If you want to come along, I'm sure Vash would be more than happy to see you." She looked away, feeling crimson creep into her cheeks as she'd just blurted that out rather suddenly.

 _Damn that Humanoid Typhoon for taking up residence in her brain lately._ She puffed her cheeks out and folded her arms.

Wolfwood did his best to hide the knowing smirk that threatened to crawl over his lips. "Is that a fact?" He grunted thoughtfully as he reached for the glass of water that Milly had just brought him, wishing more than anything for a smoke at that moment. He had to wonder if it would really be a good reunion. "Well, you two have a job to do, after all. Me, I think I'll just hang out here."

"What? You're not coming?" Milly frowned. "But it would really mean a lot to Mr. Vash if you came with us! He thought you were going to die, you know?"

Wolfwood sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose with his thumb and forefinger. How could he begin to explain to her the truth behind what had happened?

"I know," he finally said, his voice laced with regret. "I know that...it's just not that simple anymore. Things have happened..." He trailed off, tapping idly at the glass in his hands as the two women looked on in confusion. Meryl had opened her mouth to speak when he continued, "But listen, thanks for sticking around. Really...it means a lot. You'll pass the word along to him, won't you?"

Meryl narrowed her eyes, walking forward with long strides up to the bed and glared at the priest. "You have GOT to be kidding me! That man saved your life! It's really the LEAST you can do to thank him for it, or would you have him go on believing that you're dead?! That's why he left, you know! If there'd been any indication of hope that you would've regained consciousness, he would have stayed! But time ran out…I don't care _what_ happened between the two of you that seems so Goddamned scary, Nicholas D. Wolfwood, but you owe it to him to at least tell him you're alive."

The short woman panted, out of breath after her long tirade. She knew she shouldn't have yelled as loud as she did and that she was probably not helping his recovery at all, or even considering his feelings on the matter, but she just couldn't help it. She couldn't stand the thought of Vash believing his best friend had died out here when he was clearly alive and kicking now.

Wolfwood himself looked thoroughly scolded and he stared back at her, speechless, for a long moment before a smile bloomed across his face. "Heh...well now, there's not much I can say to argue against that." He sighed, glancing down at his hands. "You're right. I can make the trip to thank him in person, it's...the least I can do."

"Great!" Milly clapped her hands, not quite noticing the morose cloud that seemed to be hovering over the priest. "I can't wait for Mr. Vash to see your face! Oh, he'll be so happy... Oh! We brought your things along with us so you could have them when you woke up!" She paused for a moment in thought before her face fell. "Except for your big cross, anyway. Mr. Vash took that with him when he left."

Wolfwood lifted his eyebrows at that last statement, though he said nothing. Vash had taken the Cross Punisher, thinking that Wolfwood was going to die...a memento, perhaps? Could he have possibly taken it because he'd wanted something to remember Wolfwood by?

 _That idiot...that stupid, sentimental idiot..._

He felt water creeping up behind his eyes without warning just then, though he was able to banish it before either of the girls could notice. He coughed, pretending to clear his throat, but that action caused him to wince at the pain he'd inadvertently inflicted on his tender wounds.

"Alright, then," he said as he met each of their eyes in turn, "when did you plan on leaving?"

Meryl looked satisfied with his answer, a smug grin spreading across her face. "Well now, that all depends on you, doesn't it? Quite frankly Mr. Wolfwood, you've seen better days…" She gestured down to the many bandages that covered his body. There were so many on his torso alone; he was wrapped up like a mummy.

"Your bike is still around by the way, it miraculously wasn't stolen," she continued. "Milly and I were able to store it in the back of the hotel we're staying in. It's called The Outpost, it's just a few blocks down from here."

He seemed to brighten up a little upon hearing that bit of news. "I do appreciate that, thank you..."

Meryl was relieved she'd been able to talk to some sense into the priest. There was no way she could've proven to Vash that Wolfwood was alive if they'd ended up going without him. She'd look cruel, as if she were playing some kind of sick prank. There was no way in hell she was going to be able to face Vash again without the priest. Besides, it would put a buffer between them; something to ease his always-troubled mind. Once the two men were able to reconcile, and she had no doubt that they would (Vash was such a soft-hearted fool that he'd probably forgive the priest without a second thought), then perhaps she'd be able to get an audience with the Stampede herself.

Meryl bit her lip, anxiety building throughout her whole body as she thought about it. She'd already chickened out once, after all. This time… _this time_ she was going to push through all the awkwardness and just tell him how she felt. It was either that or spend the rest of her life regretting and wondering.

"So get your rest, okay? Milly and I will be back to visit you tomorrow." She gave him what she hoped looked like a sincere smile as her heart continued to hammer against her ribcage.

"You got it." Wolfwood nodded back to her, watching as the two of them turned to exit the room, Milly waving enthusiastically as she went. He listened as their footsteps and quiet chatter slowly drifted further and further away until he could no longer hear anything but the steady beep of his heart monitor.

Rest...well, he supposed he could try, anyway.

.

oOo

.

He hadn't meant to become so close to the sixty billion double-dollar man. Not _really_ , anyway. His job from the beginning had consisted of keeping an eye on Vash, sticking close to him, lulling the pacifistic plant into a false sense of companionship.

The orders had come straight from the Stampede's twin brother himself. Apparently, face-to-face meetings with Knives was something that did not occur often. The pet, Legato, had seemed a bit put off when the priest met his eyes after leaving the room, though Wolfwood hadn't figured out why until much later. It wasn't as if the meeting had _felt_ special in any way; Knives had kept his distance, and the conversation was curt and to the point. He was all sharp eyes and cold words and he'd looked at Wolfwood as if the man was merely a new toy he'd decided to try out. Thinking back on it now, Wolfwood decided that he hadn't been wrong in that assumption.

 _A babysitter._ That had been his job, in essence. Until the time was right, he'd been told.

How he wished now that he could take it all back. Everything. He'd tried to make it right in the end, tried to turn things around and take a page from Vash's book of love and peace and second chances. Tried to walk away from that final showdown without having spilled even a drop of blood.

But it had been too late. He'd rolled the dice long ago, after all. There was no erasing the tangled web that he'd woven for himself. No running from a past that constantly caught up to him at every turn. And when he thought about it, had he ever really been given a choice in the matter?

No...there was always a choice. That's what _he_ would have said, that annoying donut-loving bastard. There was always a choice, and Wolfwood had waited far too long to make his.

He shifted his position slightly on his motorcycle as the bike jostled over a rough patch, disturbing his raw, healing wounds. He'd gotten a good look at them as he'd dressed in the moonlit hospital room that night. They were hard to miss; he'd been stitched up like an old rag doll whose stuffing had begun to poke through. He'd counted at least seven sutured wounds before the sound of footsteps had reached his ears and then he'd abandoned the inspection in favor of pulling on the rest of his clothing and making a quick escape via the window. Milly had been kind enough to tell him exactly where she and Meryl had stashed his beloved Angelina II, and for that he was grateful; he was a man of endurance to be sure, but even he had his limits when it came to hoofing it through the desert.

There was a small part of him that regretted leaving the two girls behind, though he knew that he needed to do this alone. They would surely catch up sooner or later as they always did.

Right now though, he needed this time to think things over. To decide what he would do once he'd arrived at his destination. At the hospital, he hadn't been able to get a single moment of peace unless he was either asleep or pretending to be, and even then the doctors would rouse him for routine check-ups, bandage changes and pain medication. The entire experience was nearly suffocating and just to be outdoors again, to feel the cool breeze of the night air as it swept across his face, was an enormous relief.

He never had been one to remain in the same place for long periods of time, after all. His ties had not allowed for such things. With those shackles gone, however, it was possible that a number of new options were spread out before him.

Maybe it _wasn't_ too late. He'd been given a second chance at life when he'd been so sure that death was imminent. Much of the showdown between himself and Chapel had been reduced to a blur in his mind, but he still recalled with excruciating clarity the last few moments he'd spent knelt on the church floor over an expanding puddle of his own blood; the fear, the regret, the painful realization that his time had come to an end, the desperation he'd felt as all the "what ifs" and "if onlys" bubbled up to the surface of his racing mind. In that moment he'd discovered that all he'd ever wanted had been right in front of him all along.

Companionship. Acceptance. Somewhere he belonged. Many people searched their entire lives and never found any of those things.

A flash of light in the distance prompted Wolfwood to squint toward the horizon, trying to make out whatever it was that lay ahead of him. He could just barely observe the outline of a city in the early morning glow. The last town he'd stopped at had yielded absolutely no clues to the whereabouts of Vash the Stampede. All he really had to go on was the location of the final duel between the twin plants. The best plan he'd come up with was to travel toward each of the surrounding cities and towns and gather whatever information he could.

After all, when you were the Humanoid Typhoon, trouble bit at your heels like a playful puppy begging for attention. Sooner or later, something was bound to come up.

It was only a matter of time.

* * *

 ** _Notes:_** _Mwahaha is there anything more fun than writing Wolfwood Angst? Oh, wait, I know - Vash Angst. Just boatloads of angst in general with this story! It'll get better...soon. Maybe ;) Still, it's good to finally have Wolfwood and the rest of the gang in the mix! Do you think Vash will ever be able to forgive him? Gosh I don't know..._

 _Anyway, thank you to everyone who recently faved/followed this fic and ESPECIALLY everyone who's been kind enough to leave us awesome feedback. Seriously you guys make us want to write more, we love you. And I know it's been a while, but we have no plans to discontinue this story. Though, to be honest, we DO tend to prioritize posting our fics that get the most feedback. Supply and demand, yeah? So please feel free to sound off, what do you guys like about this stuff? What are we doing right? Is there anything we could do better? Kindly let us know :) And as always, thanks for joining us! Til next time!_


	6. Chapter 6

_**Notes:** Umm. Please accept this token of our apologies. *presents a cake to our readers with the words 'SORRY FOR BEING SLOW AT UPDATING' on it* Truly sorry D: NO IDEA HOW THIS EVEN HAPPENED. What is time, guys? No comprende. Anyway, please enjoy the next chapter of Lifelines and we promise we won't take so damn long with the next one! :)_

* * *

 **.: Chapter 6 :.**

* * *

.

Meryl stretched her hands behind her head with a large yawn as she sat straight up in her borrowed bed at the hotel they'd been staying at. Amazing; an entire night without incident. Though, actually, the lack of Vash's presence made things entirely TOO peaceful. She almost missed the chaos that constantly followed in his wake. Well, she thought, soon enough they'd be correcting that!

She rubbed the back of her mussed head as she forced herself to get out of bed. It was already past 9:00 am, she guessed. She smiled as she saw Milly already awake and hunched over the desk that was in their shared room, writing her 'Monthly Milly' letters. The tip of her tongue stuck out the side of her mouth as she ended a page with a flourish.

Meryl yawned again. "Ahh, why didn't you wake me if you were already up! I need to get a cup of coffee before we start down to see Mr. Wolfwood today. I hope he's doing better."

"Heh, sorry Meryl," the brunette chirped back. "I guess I just lost track of time! I sure got a lot of writing done this morning!" The chair scraped across the wood floor as Milly stood up, reaching for an envelope to stick the last letter inside.

Meryl began drumming her fingers against the edge of the desk. She didn't want to rush the priest's recovery by any means but she was certainly getting antsy. She had to keep reminding herself to calm down. What could possibly change in just a few weeks? Vash was surely the same durable idiot he'd always been. There was probably a very good explanation for why he hadn't returned.

'He's just being troublesome as usual, that's all,' she told herself. And heaven knew this wasn't the first time she'd had to track him down, traipsing all over Gunsmoke looking for him.

Milly finished sealing the envelope and set it carefully on top of the stack of several others. She had obviously been awake for quite some time now.

"There!" She turned and flashed Meryl a grin, clearly in much better spirits since their priest friend had woken up. "I hope Mr. Wolfwood is awake and ready to go!" Her stomach let out a loud groan at that moment and she chuckled, placing a hand over her abdomen. "Ah...but we should make sure to get a good breakfast in before we head out. My little big brother always said you shouldn't ever go adventuring on an empty stomach!"

"Honestly Milly, you saw his wounds! I'd be surprised if he was ready to leave today, tomorrow, or hell even a week from now…" Meryl chewed idly on her thumbnail again. "I know I wouldn't be moving if I were in his condition, but…" She trailed off, a crazy look crossing her face as she shrugged her shoulders with a semi-hysterical laugh. "Men like that…they're just not human!"

"Oh yeah, you're right!" Milly laughed in response. "There I go, getting ahead of myself! I guess I'm just really looking forward to meeting up with Mr. Vash again and seeing the look on his face when Mr. Wolfwood shows up with us!" She began to hum cheerfully as she gathered up all her envelopes, going through them one more time to be sure she had remembered each relative.

"Alright, let me get dressed and we'll grab some breakfast. Then you can mail that monstrous stack. I'm sure the folks back home are looking forward to the latest installment. Lots to tell, eh?" The shorter insurance girl chuckled as she began pulling on her traveling clothes.

Milly gave her a smile. "You bet! I think they'll all be relieved to know that Mr. Wolfwood is doing well, too!"

She set the stack of letters down while she quickly dressed as well, changing out of the patterned pajamas and into her usual travel attire. When they were both dressed and ready to go, she piped up again.

"You know, we should go see if Mr. Wolfwood would like us to bring him some breakfast when we come back!"

"You're right, heaven knows whatever we can bring him will be better than hospital swill. I bet he's tired of getting his food out of a bag dripping into his arm." Meryl finished, securing the cape lined with derringers, and they both headed out the door.

Upon their arrival, the two girls were greeted warmly by the hospital staff (they'd become quite the regulars lately). They made their way down the corridors, waving and wishing a good morning to at least half the medical personnel.

Just as they were reaching Wolfwood's hospital room, though, one of the nurses ran up to them. He seemed a bit panicked and out of breath.

"You…you girls haven't seen Mr. Wolfwood, have you?"

Meryl tilted her head. "What? No, that's why we're here! Is he already up and about and got himself lost in this place?" She shook her head sadly; that man was all too much like another man she knew.

The nurse shook his head. "N-no… I'm afraid he's turned up missing. When we went into his room first thing in the morning for his scheduled exam, he was gone."

"WHAAAAT?!"

Milly's eyes went wide as saucers. "Missing? Oh, no! I wonder what could have happened to him!"

"Well, all his personal possessions are also gone, so we can only assume that he's left of his own accord," the nurse said, shrugging helplessly. "It's certainly troubling. He's really in no condition to be up and walking around, let alone wandering on his own out there."

Meryl clenched her fists at her sides, the veins in her forehead starting to throb. "THAT MAN! AND HERE I WAS JUST ALL WORRIED ABOUT HIM! I should've known it! They're just alike, those two!"

She thought for sure he wouldn't be able to even leave his bed for at least another week and upon further inspection as they returned to their hotel, sure enough, he'd taken his bike.

Meryl could only stare at the spot the Angelina II had once occupied, feeling her anger and anxiety rise by the minute. "Just who the hell does he think he is?! Milly…I'm telling you, if I had known he was just going to pull a stunt like this, I'd have left him and gone after Vash MUCH sooner!" She kicked at the ground, sending up a cloud of dust.

Milly frowned, worry filling her pale blue eyes. "But why would he just leave without us? Oh, I hope nothing's happened to him! Meryl, what should we do now?" She shifted uncomfortably, not quite sure what the best plan of action would be. If Wolfwood really didn't want to be followed, surely they should respect that.

Meryl laughed haughtily, miserably failing at hiding her insecurity over the current situation. "Well I guess that really depends on where Mr. Wolfwood went…that pathetic weasel! Even after I totally shamed-I mean, talked him into seeing Vash again, he couldn't help but run off like a coward with his tail between his legs! Well forget him then, it's not our job to babysit that lunatic priest! We're going after Vash like we always planned to! Any problems with that, Milly?!"

Milly glanced down at her hands as she wrung them in front of her. "You...you don't really think that Mr. Wolfwood would do that, do you?" She bit down on her lip. She really wanted to believe that the priest would keep his word and meet up with Vash after all. She refused to believe that he could let a friend down in such a cold manner.

Meryl sighed at the dejected look on her partner's face. "Who really knows, Milly? I certainly can't pretend for a moment to know what goes on in the minds of men. They're such babies sometimes, but more often than not they're idiots! So, it's our job to look after one idiot, but not both. If we DO happen to run into the second idiot then we'll pick up where we left off and let him join our merry band. But I have NO TOLERANCE for cowards!"

"Yeah...I guess so…"

Meryl nodded, as she began swinging her arms and marching back to their hotel room to pack. "Come on, we've wasted enough time in this dead end town."

Milly sighed, but nodded and although she dragged her feet a bit, she had to agree that the Humanoid Typhoon was indeed their first priority. Wolfwood was fully capable of looking after himself, and with any luck, they would see him again sooner or later.

She had to believe that.

.

oOo

.

There it was.

The vast, never-ending blue.

Olivia hated it. She much preferred the sky at night, studded with stars and neighboring planets that floated millions of iles away from their own. Far away from all the dust and sand, she surmised.

Her father had spoken of it on occasion; the place where humanity had originated. The place that was so unlike this planet. The place called Earth. Green as far as the eye could see, and where the green ended began the water. Iles and iles of water, covering more of the planet than the land did. Olivia could barely imagine it. Those enormous bodies of water...they were called 'oceans', he'd said. A foreign word to be sure.

A stark contrast to Gunsmoke.

Here there was sun, and sand and dust, and more sun and more sand, and finally more dust. It was inescapable, seeping through even the tightest of construction. The rooms at the inn had to be swept bi-weekly and sometimes more often depending on whether or not there had been a wind storm.

Smoke curled up from the end of her cigarette as she took a long drag, blowing it out in a small, thin, stream and leaning her head back against the post on the porch of the Dwyer Inn.

She frowned then as she glanced over and caught sight yet again of the monstrosity that her mysterious guest had brought in along with his injured brother.

Just what the hell was that cross-shaped thing for, anyway? She hadn't really asked 'Mr. Smith' yet. It wasn't as though she'd had a good opportunity to chat about it, though whenever she had attempted to bring it up, he would just increase what he thought was his 'charm' and annoy her to the point where she wanted him gone.

It certainly looked harmless enough, but with these weirdos, one never could be sure.

Maybe he was just very religious?

Once upon a time, Olivia might have believed in a higher power, but not anymore. Not after everything she'd seen and been through. If there were such thing as a merciful God, he was surely watching over another planet. Probably Earth, or some other place worth protecting. This one was just a shithole, full of even shittier people all struggling to survive and more than willing to beat each other down to do so.

Olivia took another long drag, perhaps stalling just a bit as her thoughts settled on her plans for the day. It was no different than on any other Thursday, though she always half-dreaded the trip across town each week.

She put out her cigarette with a small hiss in the ashtray on the table of the porch, turning on her heel to get back inside. She figured she ought to count the register again before heading out. Perhaps she could even convince Sky to go along with her, for once.

Moments before she could reach the front door, it opened with a bang, interrupting Olivia's thoughts.

"Thought you might be out here," Sky commented as she dragged a large trash bag outside with her. "This is the last of it. I hate to say it, but I'm getting pretty efficient at this. Too bad you only get me for one more week!" She made a teasing face at her sister before she continued to drag the trash bag toward the dumpster off toward the back of the building.

Olivia's lips turned up slightly as she replied, "Yeah, about that...I was thinking of hiring you full time, since the position is still open and all."

"Ha! You're not serious. There's no way I'd want to pick up peoples' crap on a daily basis, and of my own free will at that."

"Oh I dunno, it's kinda nice having you around." Olivia averted her eyes from her sister's gaze. "And it's not like I wouldn't pay you. Just think of all the money we'd save if you had a real job and could pay for your own bail."

The mirth vanished from her younger sister's eyes. "Yeah, I get it. I'm working on a way to bring in some cash, okay? I'll be able to pay you back for everything, I promise."

It wasn't the first or even the ninth time Sky had made such a declaration. In some ways she was far too much like their father; making big promises that never really amounted to much. But, recalling her wonder from earlier, Olivia decided to bite her tongue and refrain from commenting on the empty promise.

Instead, she shoved her hands in her pockets and walked back down the steps, following her sister as she jogged toward the dumpster near the back of the building.

"Hey Sky, wait up a minute will you?"

Sky slowed her pace as requested, turning to give Olivia a look. "Yeah?"

"Today's Thursday…" Olivia looked up again, making eye contact, hoping her tone conveyed some of the underlying meaning in her words.

The look that crossed the younger Dwyer's face indicated that she had indeed understood the significance behind Olivia's words. But a moment later she looked away, shrugging indifferently as if trying to pretend otherwise. "Yeah, I know what day it is."

"I want you to come with me," Olivia gently pressed, not breaking her gaze. "It'd mean a lot…"

Sky's brow furrowed as those words sunk in, though shortly afterward she forced herself to keep moving. "I can't. I've actually got some stuff to do."

"You mean the maid stuff? Forget it, you can have the afternoon off. It's not THAT important that you finish everything today. Just come with me, Sky."

Olivia hated looking this weak in front of her sister, and really hoped that the pleading undertone of her words had been missed. She'd been making that trip by herself, week after week, for such a long time that it was beginning to take its toll on her. She could only recall a handful of times that she'd managed to convince Sky to accompany her, and those occasions had occurred so long ago that they were barely worth acknowledging.

"No, I don't mean the maid stuff," Sky barely held herself back from rolling her eyes. "I do have a life outside of this place." She was purposefully being short now, stopping just before the dumpster and pausing briefly while she tossed the bag inside, dusting off her hands afterward.

"Right." Olivia's eyes narrowed. "I know the kind of stuff you're talking about. The kind that continues to get you in trouble with the law. I think this is a little more important than getting yourself thrown in jail yet again." She pulled out another cigarette, angrily stuffing it into her mouth. "That's a bullshit excuse and you know it," she added, lighting the stick of nicotine and taking a few rapid puffs.

"Of course you would say that," Sky shot back, a frown tugging at her lips. "Everything I do is bullshit, isn't it?" She picked up her pace, heading back for the front door, clearly not wanting to have that conversation again.

The cigarette fell from Olivia's lips and she stomped it out on the ground with an angry huff, taking off after Sky. "I didn't say THAT, Sky! Do you think it's easy for me to see you get arrested time after time? Do you think I LIKE it? Every time you leave, I wonder if this is the time that you're not going to come home…!"

Sky slowed as she reached the porch, feeling her heart clench in her chest as her sister's words reached her ears. She sighed, one hand clutching the railing as her brow furrowed in conflict. "Livvy, don't you remember what Dad always said to us? 'You can't make changes in this world without taking risks.' He was right. I believe in what he was trying to do, and now I'm trying to do it in his place. And I'm sorry to make you worry, I'm sorry to be a pain in the ass, but I plan to do whatever it takes to continue his legacy."

With that, Sky disappeared into the inn, not sparing another look behind her.

.

oOo

.

Olivia shouldered her purse, leaving a sign at the front desk that she would be back later that afternoon and that sandwiches were available in the fridge. Her long-term guest did seem quite fond of her sandwiches, but more often than not she witnessed him returning to his room with a box or two filled with donuts. She couldn't begin to guess how he managed to stay so slim.

Her walk through town was fairly quiet and uneventful, as most of the inhabitants were still at work around that time of day. Olivia made no stops along the way, so it wasn't long before she reached her destination. She stopped for a moment, pausing to shield her eyes and look upon the structure looming before her.

The sun-bleached building had been built on the outskirts of February some years before she'd been born, purposely set apart from the rest of the town. It had a look that was rather devoid of personality, but there wasn't much need for flair in such a place anyway. On a clear day, it was visible from the town center if one knew just where to look, but most days the billowing sand acted as the building's own camouflage.

Olivia drew in a breath and stepped up to the front door. It groaned as she pulled it open, as if giving voice to her own anxieties.

The receptionist inside recognized her immediately and offered her a warm smile and a pleasant greeting. Olivia returned both gestures, though her own smile never reached her eyes.

Heading down the main corridor on the first floor, she nodded politely to a couple familiar orderlies who had come to know her well over the last several years. She'd never really been one for small-talk, though; particularly not in a place like this.

The hall remained mostly silent, although the occasional noise reached her ears as she'd pass each door. Muffled voices, mostly; one person seemed to be having an animated discussion, while another droned on in a boring tone, and from another room there came a grievous wailing. Olivia tried not to pay much attention to it as she went about her business.

Upon reaching a door marked '129' in large black numbers, she slowed to a stop. She paused briefly, offering herself a moment of preparation before she gripped the handle and carefully pushed the door open.

Room 129 had the benefit of receiving more sunlight during waking hours than the rooms on the opposite side of the building, and the moment Olivia stepped through the door she found herself bathed in sunlight.

As her eyes adjusted to the sudden change in lighting, she noted the figure sitting upright in bed. Her lips turned upward, if only out of obligation, as she took in the sight of the woman staring absently out the window. Two frail hands currently clutched a mug, though the lack of steam indicated the drink had long since lost its heat.

Olivia slowly made her way toward the bed, finally grabbing the woman's attention as she said, "Hi, Mom."

A pair of tired blue eyes met her own, followed by a small smile of recognition as Charlotte Dwyer welcomed the sight of her eldest daughter. "Oh...Olivia, there you are."

Olivia leaned over slightly to kiss the brunette on the cheek. "How are you feeling today?"

Her mother shrugged. "I'm just fine, sweetheart. It's your father I'm worried about," she added, shaking her head with an air of sadness.

Olivia only nodded stiffly, trying not to allow the hurt to bleed through her voice as she replied, "Don't worry, Mom. I'm sure he's fine. He always comes back." She reached for her mother's pale hand and gave it a squeeze.

"And your sister?"

"Sky couldn't make it today, but she sends her love, too." Another lie.

Charlotte sighed, gently gripping her daughter's hand as she shook her head. "Of course...I knew it. He's gone and dragged Skylar into another one of his ridiculous schemes! I just don't know what I'm going to do with that man..." She glanced back up at Olivia, noticing the redhead's troubled expression. "Oh...no, I'm sorry Olivia, I shouldn't be bitching about your father in front of you like that. Tell me, how are your studies going?"

Olivia almost lost her composure right then, tightening her grasp on her mother's hand ever so slightly as she struggled to breathe quietly and evenly. If she'd ever thought that she would eventually get used to this, then she'd been wrong. No matter how many times she'd come to visit, it never got any easier or any less painful.

But her mother was staring at her with warm, expectant eyes, and so Olivia forced herself to grin and bear it and play along. "They're going great, Mom…top of the class again in mathematics. I've got a natural head for numbers, they say."

"That's wonderful!" Charlotte's smile widened, pride obvious behind her light eyes. "You've always been so smart, I just know you'll be able to accomplish anything you set your mind to. You certainly won't wind up like your mother, stuck running the inn for the rest of her life!" She chuckled and then patted Olivia's hand with her free one. "I'm only joking, sweetheart, you know I'd have given up anything for you girls. You're what matters most to me, above anything else in the world."

Olivia's own smile was empty as she replied, "I know Mom, thank you…but you know, the inn really isn't so bad. Maybe I will take it over one day. I could meet lots of interesting travelers…and some crazy ones, too. You never know who's going to show up in this town, eh?"

Charlotte chuckled again, a soft bubbling laughter that both her daughters used to take comfort in and was now just a hard reminder of who she once was. "That's my girl...always looking on the bright side..."

Olivia clenched her jaw, her mother's laughter taking her back to a better time; a time when their family had been whole and full of love and happiness. They'd never been perfect, but what family was?

The sad smile reappeared as Olivia leaned over to hug her mother. "Yeah of course, Mom. Love you…"

.

oOo

.

It had happened approximately ten years ago.

Olivia remembered it all too well. It was the day that everything had changed. The day their father was killed, and the day that their mother had begun her descent into madness. One little action had caused a domino effect, wreaking havoc on their little family and forever altering their lives.

She recalled their parents' marriage had already been strained for quite some time; Charlotte had threatened divorce if their father didn't stop his personal, often downright dangerous mission to decrease the usage of the plants on which humanity's survival depended. Their mother had known all along what sort of man she'd married, of course, but watching him risk his life time and again eventually took its toll on her, and most importantly they had two young daughters to consider. Charlotte refused to stand for any harm coming to either of them.

Once Sky began to join her father on his endeavors, it was as though Charlotte's worst nightmare had come to pass. In her eyes, he had converted her baby girl into his own ideologies and unnecessarily put her directly in harm's way during each mission they undertook for the sake of their shared goal.

One day, as predicted, things had ended in disaster and tragedy befell the Dwyer family. Connell was gone so suddenly, and Olivia could do nothing but watch as their mother fell apart. Wracked by depression, unable to accept reality, Charlotte's condition worsened and she withdrew from the rest of the world. It seemed as though she'd stopped the flow of time, in her mind, choosing to remain forever inside a moment of their lives long since passed; a time when her husband, Connell, was still alive and up to his usual shenanigans. Day by day, Charlotte had lost pieces of herself until even her own children could barely recognize her.

She'd taken to remaining in bed day and night, requiring constant care. Once the proud owner and manager of the Dwyer Inn, Charlotte was no longer willing or able to perform even the most menial of tasks.

Eventually Olivia felt she had no other choice; she'd had her mother committed to the psychiatric hospital. The facility was somewhat renowned in neighboring cities, and patients would arrive from all over Gunsmoke to receive round-the-clock care and treatment. Its staff was comprised of warm-hearted people who were willing and able to provide Charlotte with the support she needed while Olivia could put her focus on shouldering the burden of keeping the Inn up and running. The decision hadn't been an easy one, and Olivia recalled with vivid clarity how she had wrestled with herself before and even long after the choice had been made.

Perhaps the guilt was part of the reason Olivia had never missed a visit. She was very aware that their mother's mental capacity would not allow her to make new memories with her daughters, but at least Charlotte could tell when Olivia was there, and in those moments she would smile like she used to.

Olivia hadn't always forced herself to play along with her mother's delusions, though. There was once a time when she'd been unable to accept her mother's madness; she'd yelled at her mother to wake up and accept reality, screamed for her to open her eyes and see the truth of the tragedy that had shaken their family, begged for her to return to being the mother that she and Sky so badly needed her to be.

But it was no use.

Each and every time, Charlotte would simply shut down and refuse to respond to anything Olivia would say. When it was over, Olivia remembered only the feeling of numbness and exhaustion. No word or action could ever manage to bring Charlotte back to the present.

Even now it was almost too difficult for Olivia to accept, and still she was often tempted to grab her mother by the arm and shake her until she returned to the woman she once was. But stability was really the only thing she could reasonably hope for anymore. Stability was the one thing she had, period. Even Sky's predilection to trouble, though worrisome, was stable and constant.

So she pushed on. She had no one to talk to or confide in, but she pushed on. She wasn't going to let it get the best of her. She wasn't going to die or go mad. She was stronger than that.

Her sister, on the other hand, had always seemed a bit indifferent...almost concerningly so. Even on the day the hospital staff had arrived to escort Charlotte to the facility, Sky had seemed detached from the entire situation. Olivia remembered thinking it odd that her spirited, sometimes overly-emotional younger sister had taken their mother's commitment without so much as a word of protest.

She wished she could have convinced Sky to go with her. She didn't want her sister to regret ignoring their mother for all these years. Charlotte wasn't going to be around forever, after all. Olivia remembered a time when their family had been divided into two camps, always having been on her mother's side. They'd been far closer, just as Sky had been closer with their father. She imagined that his death weighed far heavier on Sky's heart, remembering the impassioned words her sister had spoken to her earlier.

It wasn't as though Olivia didn't love her father; quite the contrary, in fact. She just hadn't seen any logic in what her father had been doing with his life, particularly after the great lengths he had gone to in order to hide his past. So much of it was still a mystery to her, though she was certain Sky knew more than she let on. Poking for clues seemed to be a lost cause, however, as whenever Olivia would broach the subject, Sky saw fit to change it almost immediately in favor of something 'safe' or more mundane. Olivia suspected Sky was either attempting to avoid a lecture, or that whatever it was she knew of Connell's past was dangerous information to pass around.

Maybe it was even the reason he'd been killed.

That was why Olivia so disapproved of Sky's continued actions. She feared the day that something just as bad would happen to her little sister as had happened to their father. She didn't give many outward signs, but the woman was fiercely protective of her sister. Affection she gave grudgingly and in small amounts, but she had always, always loved her reckless sibling...even long after they had grown apart.

And so it went. Even separated through death and madness, the two camps remained divided.

.

oOo

.

Vash was munching on a sandwich in the kitchen when he heard the bell ding from the front of the Inn. So far, Knives had refused to take anything but water and he had meant to ask Olivia if she had anything he could give to Knives in a liquid form. Like soup, or even some oatmeal maybe.

The outlaw was certainly grateful for her discretion. She never asked unnecessary questions and had let the matter of calling a doctor for his injured brother slide. Things had almost fallen apart when the well-meaning Sky had taken of Knives' shackles, though, and Vash didn't want a repeat of that. He knew good and well that even if she'd been understanding so far, Olivia probably would NOT keep quiet after near death experience, particularly one that had befallen her younger sister.

He stuffed the remainder of the sandwich in his mouth and jogged out to the front where, sure enough, Olivia was taking down the sign that explained her absence and estimated time of return.

Vash opened his mouth, ready to ask for additional provisions when he noticed her tense body language and down-trodden expression. He hadn't seen Olivia smile very often to begin with, but this look on her face was unmistakably one that spoke of emotional pain. Something that Vash was very well acquainted with.

He approached her with an air of caution. "Miss Olivia, good evening."

She mumbled a response, not even looking up at him as she began dialing the combination of the safe.

"Um…ah…" Vash held up a finger, trying to get her attention.

Olivia finally looked up. "Yes, Mr. Smith? Did you need anything? Sorry there were only sandwiches for dinner, I had an important appointment to keep."

Vash waved his hands in front of him. "Oh no, no, not at all! Your sandwiches are always delicious, Miss Olivia! It's just…I happened to notice you look upset... Are you alright?"

Olivia sucked in her breath and held it for three seconds before slowly letting it out and lifting her head further to make eye contact with the taller man. She debated whether or not to tell him the truth for about a split second before deciding it was better to lie.

"Everything's fine. Have you seen my sister, by the way? She left in a hurry earlier."

Vash was not convinced that everything was fine, but he decided to drop it. "Can't say that I have, I'm sorry."

Olivia nodded quickly resuming her task. "Well if there's anything else you need, don't hesitate to ask."

He opened and closed his mouth a few more times, thinking of what he might say to encourage the innkeeper to tell him what was really bothering her, but he just couldn't think of anything that wouldn't earn him a slap. And so, with a soft sigh, he wished her a good night and returned to his room, racking his brain for something he could possibly say to or do to help her in the near future.

Mere monetary compensation just didn't feel like enough at this point. Whether she knew it or not, Olivia Dwyer was harboring a dangerous man...well, make that _two_ dangerous men, being that he hadn't divulged to her the fact that he was the legendary outlaw, Vash the Stampede.

He couldn't help but feel that he owed her a great deal more than he'd already given her.


	7. Chapter 7

**.: Chapter 7 :.**

* * *

.

.

He was getting awful tired of the color beige.

The color of the desert sand, to be precise. Nothing but endless amounts of sand for iles and iles. Would it have killed this damn planet to grow a couple of trees here and there? Sure, they existed, but only in select places which boasted the proper conditions. He'd only seen a couple of them in his lifetime and he didn't think he'd ever tire of walking along the lush, padded greenery. It was remarkable. It was what he envisioned whenever he thought about his ideal paradise.

The late-afternoon suns beat down on him from overhead, mercilessly stealing the moisture from his skin. Even the breeze was too dry and stale to aid in cooling him off.

This was his least favorite time of day to be out and about, especially while dressed in black from head to toe. Whose idea had it been for priests to dress in dark colors? Wolfwood made a mental note to scorn whomever that was, for they'd obviously made no considerations for desert travelers.

He swallowed thickly as a bead of sweat slowly rolled its way down the side of his face. How long had it been since he'd passed the last city? Several hours at least, he guessed, judging by the protests his body was staging at the moment in the form of a complaining stomach and a parched throat. He'd have to make a stop again soon. Not only to rest and recharge, but also to refill the Angelina II's gas tank, which he now noticed was running so low that he was almost surprised the motorcycle was still operating.

It had been a long day. Lots of sun, countless iles, and still no word or rumor on the whereabouts of Vash the Stampede from anyone he'd asked. When he had limped by the donut stand in the city he'd last set foot in, the older woman had given him hope when she'd mentioned a man in a red jacket, however upon further investigation Wolfwood was able to deduce that the person in question was definitely not the man he was looking for.

How did the insurance girls manage this seemingly impossible feat time and again? Shouldn't it be easy to find such a walking disaster as that spiky-haired lunatic? He felt frustration welling up within his chest. Perhaps it had been a bad idea after all, leaving without Meryl and Milly. They'd had a lot more practice at tracking Vash down than Wolfwood did. Hell, most of the time they seemed able to find him without even trying. It was either dumb luck or a curse; he supposed the jury was still out on that one.

At any rate, it was too late to go back now. He'd already come this far. Wolfwood figured he might as well see it through.

He was reaching beneath the black sunglasses he wore, wiping the sweat from his brow when a flash of color caught his eye amidst the endless stretch of boring beige. Actually, he was a little surprised that he'd even seen it, given the fact that one of his eyes was closed at the moment and he hadn't even been paying much attention to his surroundings.

He was unsure of what it was initially, but since it was the first interesting thing he'd come across in who knew how many hours, Wolfwood decided to investigate. He turned the motorcycle slightly toward the right, traveling in a direct route toward the brightly colored object. It waved about like a crimson flag in the breeze, apparently having become half-buried in the surrounding sand. As he approached and slowed the bike to a crawl in order to get a better look at it, his brow furrowed in suspicion.

Something about it was familiar, somehow...

Sticking a foot out to the side, he dug his heel into the sand to help bring the bike to a complete stop near the object of interest. He was then able to lean to his right (wincing at the pain this action caused him) and grip the large piece of cloth, pulling it from its sandy entrapment.

 _Oh, no…_

Wolfwood's eyes went wide as he stared back at it, suddenly realizing exactly why it looked so familiar. His free hand immediately traveled to his face, pushing up the sunglasses as to get a better look at the tattered piece of red cloth he held before him.

 _That idiot...it couldn't be..._

Much of what had gone on before the fight with Chapel was just a blur to him now, but he did recall telling Vash exactly where Knives could be found. He knew that the brothers would have fought...perhaps to the death. If Vash had not been the victor, then surely...

Wolfwood clenched his fist around the piece of Vash's coat, gritting his teeth. That damned Needle Noggin never went anywhere without that obnoxiously red coat of his, even though it made him a walking target in the eyes of every bounty hunter hoping to strike it rich on this God-forsaken planet. When he'd pointed out that fact, Vash had just smiled and explained that he simply liked the color. A bullshit answer as usual, but then again, what else had he really expected to hear?

Regardless, it had always been very apparent that the coat had meant a lot to the Humanoid Typhoon...so much that Wolfwood was not entirely sure he'd willingly abandon it. This discovery, coupled with the fact that not a single soul he'd asked had heard a single thing regarding the man in question...well, that didn't exactly bode well.

An uneasy feeling crept its way toward his stomach, and the priest tried hard to shake it off.

It was too soon to just go jumping to wild conclusions. He didn't know all the facts. He refused to let himself think even for a second that there was a good reason nobody had heard any word regarding his closest friend.

 _Still…_

Wolfwood turned to stuff the piece of the coat into the pack that carried all of his personal effects. It wouldn't do any good to think too hard about all the grim possibilities. Not until he had more information, anyway.

With that, he slid his sunglasses back over his eyes. Best to continue onward while he still had daylight on his side. Revving the motorcycle's engine, he sped off into the blistering heat, steering the bike back onto the original path toward the next town.

There was absolutely no justice left in the world if a guy like Wolfwood could miraculously survive one death-match while that peace-loving maniac had gone off and died in another.

.

oOo

.

Its size was beyond anything she ever would have imagined; especially for being buried beneath the sandy desert.

Sky figured it had to be at least the size of February, which was impressive considering it was most likely only a part of something that had once been much larger.

She'd first set foot inside it around six months ago, and even now she was certain that she could easily spend _days_ at a time just wandering the corridors and uncovering more of the lost secrets contained within. It had become her favorite place, her new project. It was where she disappeared to whenever she was upset or needed a quiet place to think.

It was falling apart in some places and although upright, the floors were slightly off-kilter. But for the most part, the ship had remained intact and untouched for likely over 150 years, she guessed.

She'd explored much of it, but there were still areas that had gone unchecked. Particularly due to the fact that in those places, some of the security system was still up and running. The day she'd stumbled across _that_ little surprise would forever be remembered as the day she narrowly avoided a high-powered laser beam between the eyes. After a harrowing chase down several corridors, she'd managed to hack into one of the consoles and shut the murderous cyborgs behind one of the main doors, noting to herself that from now on, the medical bay was _definitely_ off-limits. Quite a shame, really, considering that from what little she had seen of the area as she'd been running for her life, it was largely undamaged and positively magnificent.

Since then, Sky had been working diligently at the consoles in the main control room, attempting to decipher the coding used for the security system in hopes of someday shutting it down without destroying anything invaluable in the process. So far, no such luck...although her efforts were not for nothing, as she'd managed to glean a great deal of commands and key codes that had proven to be extremely useful in exploring some of the other areas of the ship.

One such code had allowed her to gain entry to the large room that she currently stood inside; possibly her most valuable find to date. The plant before her was anchored to the high ceiling above, undamaged as far as she could tell by looking at it, and presumably fully functioning. Untouched for more than a century...it was in perfect shape save for a thin coat of dust that had settled on its outer surface over the years.

Sky couldn't help but smile as she looked up at it, knowing that someone else would have been excited by the discovery, too.

"Not too shabby, eh Dad…?"

Her father had taught her a great number of things about the energy-providing plants which could be found in cities scattered all over the planet, having worked as an engineer at February's own plant in the past. He'd shown her how to maintain them and operate the controls. He'd explained to her that it was important to minimize the energy consumed from them, as the plants were only able to support so many people for so many years and would eventually become used up...the only thing that remained unclear was _when._

But Connell Dwyer had been no ordinary engineer; Sky would go so far as to say he'd been no ordinary man, in fact. He'd known things that nobody else knew. Things that most of civilization had long-since forgotten about. Things that he'd always taken great care not to mention around the wrong set of ears.

He'd told her what _really_ provided the energy from the plants. He'd called them the "beings who exist outside of time." Genetically engineered on the planet Earth a long, long time ago, making them the most valuable of all lost technology. He had explained that they resided within the core of each plant. Most people didn't even realize that they existed, he said. Sky had immediately become fascinated by them; she would often ponder over what they looked like and if she'd ever get to see one. She wondered what they thought about, if they could even _have_ thoughts. Connell didn't know for certain, but Sky had always liked to imagine that perhaps they could. And if they could think, then surely they could feel, and surely they felt the strain of all the work that humans were demanding of them.

That was only the beginning for her. She hadn't been satisfied with just knowing all of that. Since then, she'd felt a strong desire to put a stop to the useless consumption of energy...to the needless strain on those beings themselves...just as her father before her.

They had been a great team. Things were a lot easier back then, with the both of them working together. Connell always knew exactly what to do, where to go, how to gain the attention of others...until he'd attracted the _wrong_ attention. Now she was alone in their endeavor, but her resolve was as strong as ever. It was about much more than preserving the plants; it was also about keeping her father alive, the only way that Sky knew how. This was what he would have wanted.

She let out a long breath, her eyes finally moving from the enormous light bulb-like structure to the large console mounted on the wall toward her right.

"Well...let's see how you're doing after all these years," she said, her voice bouncing off the walls of the mostly-empty room as she approached the screen.

It didn't take her long to gain access to the controls (she had all that fiddling around with the terminals in the main room to thank for that). Her fingers flew over the keys with practiced fluidity, and the screen soon lit up as it displayed the plant's current status. Sky exhaled a triumphant laugh as the numbers came up. As she'd thought, the energy output had been set at a bare minimum, probably ever since the ship had first crashed. It was likely that this particular plant had never been fully activated for whatever reason. An error in the system, perhaps? Sky wasn't sure, but either way it was good news as far as she was concerned.

She cycled through the options in the main directory until she found the control panel responsible for each floor of the ship.

"Sorry, but I'm going to need you to help me with something," she murmured as she entered a command that would activate the power on the second floor. Sure enough, the section that was currently displayed on the screen lit up and Sky grinned to herself. "Awesome. That should do it."

Stepping away from the main screen, Sky turned on her heel and headed out of the room. The fourth floor had been inaccessible to her ever since she'd stumbled across the ship, and none of the codes she'd tried on the door had been successful. That had been before she'd realized that the power had actually not been supplied to that floor, which explained why nothing ever happened when she'd attempted to activate the console by the main door. However, now that she had finally managed to get to the plant, she would at last be able to find out what lay behind that large heavy door.

Sky was anxious to say the least, and quickened her pace down the main hall until the large painted "4" came into view up ahead. The console's screen was now lit up and she eagerly stepped closer to it, inputting the code she had memorized and then standing back as the words "ACCESS GRANTED" flashed across the screen.

There was a loud sound of metal scraping against metal and a hiss as the door slid open, revealing a set of slate-gray stairs. She ascended cautiously, taking care not to create a disturbance. As her head peeked over the top step, she could finally see it; a very large, apparently empty room that was now lit with the same sort of ambient lighting that appeared throughout the parts of the ship that Sky had already explored, though it was dark enough that she couldn't tell exactly where the room ended.

Before she set foot into that area, however, she made sure to check for stray security bots roaming around. She'd learned during her near-death experience that they could sense vibrations created by footsteps, and also that they could be fooled by throwing a few objects to misdirect them. From the pack over her shoulder, Sky pulled out a couple of boots that she'd found in what she had assumed to be a closet full of extra work supplies. She hurled them into the room, one after the other, and waited as each boot made a satisfying 'thump' in the middle of the room.

After a minute or two of hearing nothing but the soft hum of electricity, Sky decided it was safe to proceed.

"Here goes," she said as she stepped through the doorway at the top of the stairs.

She reached for the light she'd brought with her, clicking it on and shining it carefully around the room as she walked forward. It was a small device, but quite bright and very useful. Also something she had found in that storage closet.

The further Sky ventured into the room, the more she noticed that the walls seemed to be decorated with odd capsule-like structures, one on top of the other, rows and rows of them. Her boots crunched over something just then and she glanced down, pointing the light toward the floor.

Sand?

Her brow furrowed, noting that more sand was covering the area just ahead of her, and as the light traced the path of the familiar beige grains, she began to notice mounds of it here and there, increasing in size until the floor could no longer be seen at all.

Sky made a face. "Tch. Figures..."

She shook her head as her eyes followed a sloping wall of sand that effectively blocked off the rest of the room. She knew that the ship wasn't in perfect condition, though she still couldn't help but feel disappointed after having looked forward to exploring the fourth floor for so long. As it turned out, there seemed to be nothing worth finding in that room.

With a sigh, she turned around, idly scanning the flashlight along the walls as she headed back toward the door. What weird decorations those were...they reached the ceiling, which was impressive considering how high that was. She made her way toward the wall on her left side, wanting to get a closer look at them. If that was the most interesting thing residing in the room then she may as well get a better glimpse at it, she figured.

However, there was something peculiar about the large, cylinder-shaped structures that she realized only as she drew nearer. They were all so covered in dust and desert grit that she couldn't quite tell the reason why they seemed so strange to her, so Sky reached forward and used her hand to wipe off the thick layer of dirt.

A strangled scream escaped her throat, and she stumbled backward, one hand clamping over her mouth as her wide eyes took in the sight before her.

The face stared back at her through the glass. Unmoving. Eyes closed. Wearing a blank expression, as if asleep.

 _A human? How...?_

She realized with a start that the structures were actually not decorations at all, but pods. Did _all_ of them contain people? Were they even alive? Surely...surely not...

Sky remained frozen in her spot for a good long moment, unable to tear her eyes away from the face in front of her, wondering if she truly was seeing this and wishing her father was there with her. He would have known what to do. Would have known exactly what this was.

It was a good two minutes before she was able to shake herself out of her shocked state. She blinked, willing herself to breathe in and out, willing her heart to slow its hammering pace. Clearly whoever was in there could not get out, as evident by the coating of undisturbed dust on the glass. She slowly approached the pod once more, and upon further inspection it was apparent that whomever was once inside was now quite dead. In fact, he was the most well-preserved corpse that Sky had ever seen. Not that she'd seen many corpses in her life, anyway.

Still...what had killed them? What were they still doing inside the pods? Connell had told her of the SEEDs ships, but hadn't everyone woken up when the ships all crashed? Shaking her head, Sky wiped the glass of another pod, and then another...all containing the same sort of preserved bodies inside.

Actually, it was really starting to creep her out.

Grimacing at the last face she'd uncovered, Sky concluded that she'd had enough exploring for one day...and that she probably could have lived without knowing what lay behind this door.

Shuddering to herself, she picked up her pace and headed for the door, locking it securely behind her and sincerely hoping that those images would stay out of her head when she went to sleep that night.

.

oOo

.

Sky breathed out a sigh of relief as she let the hot water wash over her, taking all the dirt and sweat from the day's work as it went. Sometimes she was tempted to just stand beneath the spray of water, breathing in the steam and letting it relax her. There was once a time in her life before her eyes had been opened to the real struggles of this world when she would have done just that, however that was more than ten years ago. She knew better than to needlessly waste the planet's resources. In fact, she'd managed to get her shower time down to about four minutes by turning off the water while she washed her hair. She kept trying to suggest that Olivia officially enforce a ten-minute rule on all the guests (which Sky thought was extremely generous, all things considered), but she'd had no such luck in that endeavor thus far.

As her thoughts drifted to her sister, Sky recalled their conversation earlier that day and couldn't help but wonder how the meeting with their mother had gone. She hadn't actually seen hide nor hair of Olivia since she'd returned that night, and if she were being honest, Sky wasn't exactly looking forward to running into her. She was well aware of the fact that Olivia hated visiting their mother alone. It was hard on her. Sky understood that all too well...but she had her own reasons for not wanting to go along on the visits. Reasons which included more than simply having other things to do, important as those things were.

She reached for the soap, so deep in thought that she'd almost forgotten about her self-imposed time limit.

Turning to take the bar from the plastic shelf by the shower head, Sky opened her eyes and they immediately went wide.

It...it was HUGE!

A blood-curdling scream erupted from her lungs just then and before she could think, she was stumbling backward. Her legs hit the side of the tub and she lost her balance. Arms flailing wildly, Sky grappled onto anything she could manage to hang on to at that moment, which just happened to be the shower curtain.

There was a series of 'pops' as the material, unable to support her weight, was ripped from the hooks that kept it in place. The next thing Sky knew, she was hitting the floor and becoming entangled in the shower curtain, still shrieking like a banshee.

Suddenly someone burst through the door.

"Miss Sky!" Vash shouted in alarm as he rushed over, holding his hand out. "Are you injured?! What happened? Did someone attack you?!" He certainly hoped not; he was hoping that he'd never have to draw his gun in this seemingly peaceful town.

Sky had managed to propel herself backward until she was pressed against the wall. Her eyes were wide as saucers as she looked up at Vash, one hand clutching the shower curtain to her chest. The other pointed animatedly toward the shower, where the water was still running.

"IT'S OVER THERE! KILL IT!" She shouted out, grimacing as she caught sight of the offending creature once more.

Vash blinked as he followed the direction of her hand, walking forward to peer into the shower. There was a small brown spider sitting near the soap, small enough to fit into a bottle cap but large enough to cause alarm, he supposed. The spider's multiple eyes gleamed black as its feelers moved in a somewhat hypnotic, undulating motion.

The corners of Vash's lips turned up as he gently and slowly placed one hand near the spider and urged it to crawl into his palm with his other hand. Sky looked on with wary eyes from the other side of the room where she was still huddled up against the wall.

Cupping both hands around the arachnid, he looked over at her. "Hey, it's okay. I've got him."

Vash walked over to the window with his little passenger, feeling the eight tiny legs scuttle back and forth over his palm. He opened it a crack as best as he could without setting the spider free too soon and then stuck his hands out onto the sill, opening them and watching the spider jump away into the night.

Vash pulled his hands back in and closed the window, walking back over to Sky. "It was just a little brown house spider, nothing to be afraid of, Miss Sky! In any case, I set him free so everything's fine now!" He was about to offer his hand to Sky again, then thought the better of it as he decided to wash his hands at one of the sinks first before offering the frightened woman his assistance.

"Come on, it's okay. I'm not trying to peek at you. Well, unless you let me…." He trailed off with a wink.

She stared at his hand a moment longer before finally she sighed and gave in, accepting the help and noting how easily he pulled her to her feet.

"Thanks," she said, slightly embarrassed, and then suddenly exclaimed, "Oh, crap!" as she realized that the water was still running. She quickly stepped over to the shower, gripping the faucet and turning it off. So much for her four-minute limit.

Vash averted his eyes as he remembered she actually wasn't wearing anything under that curtain, while rubbing the back of his neck. He always talked a big game, however when it really came down to it…he was very attracted to women, sure, though he just couldn't help but think none of them would ever be attracted to him. And what's more, he'd always felt undeserving of their affection.

He wasn't one of them, after all.

Sky sighed and turned back to face him, her arms crossing over her chest. He'd fallen silent for some reason, looking in another direction with a serious expression on his face.

"You know, it would've been easier to just squash him," she commented. Most people would have done just that.

Before Vash could let the dark tone his thoughts had taken consume him, he was brought back to the present as she told him squishing the spider would've been easier than freeing it. He parted his lips, looking up and taking care to gaze only at her face, making eye contact.

"Well, I know that, but I can't help but think that all life is precious, Miss Sky. Maybe he was just thirsty or wanted to take a bath, too. Is that any reason to snuff out his little life?" Vash chuckled awkwardly. "My brother always thought I was too sentimental. Maybe you do, too…"

That statement was met with raised eyebrows as a perplexed look crossed Sky's face. He was being completely serious, and for a moment she had no words for a proper reply.

"Wow, you're just full of surprises, aren't you? I mean, you know...who would've thought Vash the Stampede would turn out to be a man who couldn't even squish a spider?" She was careful to keep her voice down, lest someone else overhear the name.

Vash laughed awkwardly, averting his eyes again as he turned away from her. "Yeah, what can I say, I am an odd one!" He laughed again and waved over his shoulder. "I'll leave you to the rest of your shower now, Miss Sky. See you around! Just let me know if you find any more creatures you need me to set free."

He hurried away before she could answer, his face flushed. The look she'd given him with those bright blue eyes was something close to admiration, once she'd gotten over her initial bewilderment. Of course it wasn't as if he had the best reputation. His name would forever be stained with those huge incidents; lost July, the hole in the 5th moon...to the people who'd only heard his name and his legend, he was nothing more than a cold-blooded killer.

' _Well,'_ he thought, somewhat bitterly, ' _they aren't wrong.'_

In that moment he couldn't help but think about all the countless murderers, outlaws and rapists he'd saved over the years by refusing to kill his opponents. His life would have been so much easier had he decided to just end their lives. Still…was it so wrong to believe that all those men and women weren't past hope of saving? In those times, he'd thought that maybe a little bit of mercy shown in their darkest hour would be enough to set them down a different path.

Many would beg to differ. Many would go on to continue their crimes. There was nothing he could do about it now.

Nothing to do but keep moving forward.


End file.
